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Karachi police have formed a special team to make "all-out efforts" to apprehend those responsible for the Gul Plaza fire and to carry out an impartial investigation into the incident.
According to Dawn on Monday, an order issued by South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said the five-member team was constituted for the "arrest of involved accused person(s) and impartial investigation" into the case. "The investigation team shall make all-out and diligent efforts to arrest the accused person(s) by utilising all available resources," the notification stated. Police said in the first information report dated January 23 that the blaze was an "outcome of negligence and carelessness," adding that the case had been registered against unknown persons as no suspect had yet been nominated. The team includes the Garden Sub-divisional police officer, Kharadar investigation deputy superintendent of police, head of the Garden Central Investigation Cell, the station house officer of Nabi Bux police station, where the FIR was lodged, and the investigation officer of the case. The group has also been authorised to co-opt any South Zone police official if it requires "help to solve the case." DIG Raza further directed that a "Daily progress report shall be submitted to this office without fail." The fire, which broke out on the night of January 17 and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, has claimed at least 73 lives and destroyed more than 1,100 shops, with only 23 victims identified so far. DIG Raza told Dawn that after nine days of searching through debris to locate remains of the dead and missing, the operation concluded on Sunday, following which Gul Plaza was sealed. Temporary restrictions on MA Jinnah Road were lifted, while Karachi Metropolitan Corporation workers were seen installing green construction mesh on the plaza. A team of forensic experts from Lahore later joined the probe, with Punjab Forensic Science Agency officials visiting the damaged shopping centre and collecting samples, Dawn reported. Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan said the search and rescue operation had been completed and the building handed back to the district administration. He added that experts would assess the structure and the site was expected to be demolished on Tuesday. He said the building had been marked with three colours -- green where nothing was recovered, red where bodies were found, and yellow indicating the recovery of goods and valuables. Khan added that a "final" search would be conducted at night at the request of shopkeepers and plaza management. He said valuables would be removed and returned to traders in the presence of district officials and plaza representatives. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said whoever is found responsible would be punished, noting that "more than 80 lives have been lost." "I will not take the name of anyone right now. Once the inquiry is over, it will come forward after that," he said. He acknowledged, "We have mistakes; I admit it," while pointing out that audits carried out in Islamabad were also unsatisfactory. On whether the incident could be arson, Murad said the inquiry committee would "consider all aspects." He urged anyone with "facts" to approach it and stated, "If we are responsible, we will accept punishment," while warning that those "saying such things will also be held accountable." Responding to reports of insufficient water during rescue efforts, he said, "We have fire brigades but they are not enough." He attributed gaps to "legacy issues" and "old laws," and noted that multiple departments were involved. He announced these bodies would be merged, with legislation underway. Murad recalled compensation of PKR 10 million for each deceased person''s family and PKR 5 million for each shop occupant. He added that with support from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, business losses, including destroyed stock, would also be covered. "Within a month, we''ll reimburse the shopkeepers for their inventory losses." Asked about MQM-P''s demand to declare Karachi a "federal territory," Murad said it was not the right time. "We are ready for every debate, [but] I would not like to," he said. "I am not asking you not to talk about this tragedy or about bringing improvement. But do not go towards such discussions that have no logic." Addressing criticism from the Sindh governor, Murad encouraged constructive coverage while asking journalists "not to add fuel to the fire." He warned there would be "no compromise" on fire safety enforcement. As part of a province-wide audit, 2,368 buildings have been identified for inspection, with Sukkur topping the list at 898, followed by Karachi with 562, Hyderabad with 540, Shaheed Benazirabad with 171, Larkana with 143, and Mirpurkhas with 54, Dawn reported. Murad said, "An audit will be conducted of every [major] building, and we will start from the building which has more footfall." He added that owners had been given 20 "targets," including installing alarms and extinguishers, clearing exits, marking escape routes, and arranging backup lighting. Buildings completing "10 to 13" requirements within a week could be granted more time, but those showing no progress would be sealed. "There will be no compromise on that," he said. He added that full compliance would be required within six months. Urging commercial building owners and industrialists to cooperate, Murad said, "We all must resolve collectively that such an incident does not occur again." (ANI)
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