KARACHI: Police have registered a first information report (FIR) over the devastating Gul Plaza fire, describing the tragedy as an “outcome of negligence and carelessness.” The blaze, which broke out on the night of January 17, engulfed the ground-plus-three-storey shopping plaza and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, leaving 71 people dead and sections of the building collapsed.
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According to the FIR, the fire started in shop number 193, a flower and gift shop on the ground floor, and quickly spread throughout the plaza. Police cited lack of firefighting equipment, no emergency exits, and absence of reasonable arrangements as major factors that hindered evacuation and contributed to the loss of human lives and substantial financial damage. The FIR was registered under Sections 322, 337-H(i), 436, and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code against unknown persons.
گل پلازہ میں اگ لگنے کا واقعہ
پولیس نے واقعہ پر مقدمہ درج کر لیا
ایف ائی ار سیکشن 322 ،,337-H(I)/436/427 PPc دفعات کے تحت درج کی گئی
مقدمہ غفلت اور لاپرواہی کی دفعات کے تحت درج کیا گیا،مقدمہ سرکار مدعیت میں درج ہوا ہے
اگ لگنے کے واقعے میں شدید غفلت اور لاپرواہی کا مظاہرہ کیا گیا pic.twitter.com/l1gzwTOwg3— Mumtaz Shigri (@iamMumtazShigri) January 24, 2026
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced relief measures in the provincial assembly on Friday, including Rs10 million for each deceased victim’s family and Rs500,000 in immediate assistance for 1,102 shops affected by the fire. The CM added that 500 shops in one building and 350 in another would be provided to affected shopkeepers rent-free for one year, with makeshift arrangements for up to two years.
Murad also said the Gul Plaza building would likely be demolished and rebuilt within two years, ensuring shops retain the same area size as before. He stressed that a full audit of commercial buildings would be conducted and non-compliant structures would be sealed. Additionally, he directed the law minister to draft legislation to make insurance mandatory for commercial properties.
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The FIR and relief package reflect both an effort to hold authorities accountable for safety lapses and to provide immediate support to victims and affected businesses.