Police charge sheet says building management at fault for Gul Plaza inferno

Karachi police filed a new charge sheet against the building management at Gul Plaza, accusing them of negligence in the tragic fire that occurred on January 17th. The inferno ripped through the mall, claiming at least 73 lives and leaving over 1,100 shops in ashes. Initially, the charge sheet in July named six people as the accused, including 11-year-old Huzaifa. However, a previous magistrate dismissed the document, citing insufficient investigation by the officer in charge.

The newly submitted charge sheet, dated September 3rd and presented by Nabi Bux police, names four of the six individuals as the accused to stand trial. These include Huzaifa's father, Naimatullah, who owned an artificial flower shop; Tanveer Pasta, the president of the Gul Plaza Traders Association; association members Ammar Ismail and Muhammad Ramzan.

The document highlights the lack of adequate fire extinguishing tools on the part of the Gul Plaza administration, given the scale of the building. It also points out the absence of alternative arrangements for emergency lighting, which caused difficulties for people trying to evacuate the building. According to the complainant, only two gates of the building were open during the fire, and the grills were locked, preventing people from exiting.

The charge sheet further alleges that the iron gates on the third floor were padlocked, suggesting the administration had locked them themselves.

Moreover, the document notes that K-Electric cut the power supply at the location, despite being aware that the building lacked alternative arrangements for lighting.