Gul Plaza Fire: Sindh Committee Recommends Action Against SBCA Officials Over Safety Failures
Implementation Committee proposes legal action against regulatory authorities, Civil Defence officials and building management, while urging stronger post-construction inspections to improve fire safety.
Gul Plaza building faces scrutiny after the committee's fire safety investigation.
KARACHI: The Gul Plaza Fire implementation committee has recommended disciplinary and legal action against officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) who served between 2020 and the deadly January 2026 fire, holding them responsible for alleged failures in inspections, enforcement and regulatory oversight.
The committee, chaired by the Sindh Chief Secretary, concluded that officials failed to properly monitor the building, approved a revised building plan, and later regularised the structure despite alleged violations. The recommendations followed findings from a three-tier task force established under the directives of the Sindh High Court and the District South Technical Committee for Fire Safety Audit.
The committee also urged the Sindh government to amend the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979, allowing the SBCA to conduct mandatory post-construction inspections. The proposed amendment would enable authorities to monitor completed buildings and ensure continued compliance with approved plans, fire safety standards and other legal requirements.
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To strengthen oversight, the committee recommended introducing a regular inspection system involving the SBCA, Rescue 1122, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Civil Defence, Cantonment Boards and other relevant agencies. It also stressed the need for safeguards to prevent misuse of inspection powers.
The committee called for strict enforcement of the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013, while recommending specialised training for fire department personnel, implementation of pending fire safety audit recommendations, activation of the Mauripur Fire Station and recruitment to fill long-vacant positions, including firefighters and drivers.
It also proposed disciplinary and legal proceedings against fire department officials over alleged shortcomings in preparedness, delayed emergency response and rescue operations. The recommendations extend to departmental representatives who served on inspection and fire safety committees since 2020.
The committee specifically recommended action against Station Officer Zaheer Siddiqui for allegedly issuing a fire safety certificate on March 20, 2024, without the required approval. It also urged authorities to determine responsibility for failing to address deficiencies identified during the building’s 2021 fire safety audit.
In addition, the committee recommended an inquiry into the extension of the building’s lease and the reduction of lease rates approved in 1991 to determine whether those decisions complied with the law.
The meeting endorsed the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s proposal to transfer the peacetime responsibilities of Civil Defence to Rescue 1122 to strengthen emergency response services across Sindh. It also recommended reinforcing Rescue 1122 under the Sindh Rescue Services Act, 2023, while fixing responsibility on officials for alleged failures in rescue coordination and support.
The committee further proposed disciplinary action against Civil Defence officers Fatima Memon and Mirza Mursaleen Baig for allegedly issuing questionable inspection memos during 2024 and 2025. It also recommended proceedings against the Director of Civil Defence and other officials responsible for supervision and enforcement.
The report highlighted alleged negligence by the Deputy Commissioner South, acting as Controller Civil Defence and Convener of the District South Technical Committee for Fire Safety Audit, along with assistant and additional deputy commissioners for inadequate monitoring and follow-up of fire safety inspections.
The committee also recommended registering the building’s Management Committee under the Sindh Condominium Act, 2014, and directed the Director General of the SBCA to ensure compliance with fire safety and maintenance regulations.
It further called for a comprehensive inquiry into the management committee’s handling of maintenance funds despite persistent safety deficiencies. The committee also proposed criminal proceedings against the committee’s president, owners and other members over alleged failures identified in the forensic report, including inadequate firefighting equipment, insufficient water supply, blocked emergency exits, obstructed passageways and the alleged procurement of an invalid fire safety certificate.
