The Sindh government has officially set in motion a high-level judicial inquiry into the Gul Plaza tragedy, with a formal notification published in the provincial Gazette on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
This move upgrades the investigation from a departmental level to a court-led commission, following intense public and political pressure for a transparent probe into the blaze that claimed between 73 and 80 lives last month.
The Commission at a Glance
The commission is mandated to look beyond the immediate cause of the fire and scrutinize the systemic failures that turned the building into a death trap.
| Feature | Details |
| Lead Commissioner | Justice Agha Faisal (nominated by the Sindh High Court). |
| Legal Authority | Section 3 of the Sindh Tribunal of Inquiry Ordinance, 1969. |
| Timeline | Final report must be submitted within eight (8) weeks. |
| Secretariat | Support provided by the Karachi Commissioner’s Office. |
The fire started on Saturday night at 10:15 PM in an artificial flower shop on the ground floor of Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road, and by Sunday afternoon at least six people were confirmed dead, including a firefighter named Furqan, while somewhere between 80 and 100 people were… pic.twitter.com/pHjebZnAlN
— brief. (@brief_pk) January 18, 2026
Terms of Reference (ToRs): What is being Probed?
Justice Agha Faisal’s inquiry will focus on four critical areas of negligence:
- Legal & Structural Audit: Examining whether building approvals and lease extensions by the SBCA and KMC were legal, and if illegal constructions blocked emergency exits.
- Fire Safety Compliance: Determining if the building management had installed working fire alarms, sprinklers, and hydrants as required by law.
- Regulatory Failure: Investigating if previous fire safety audits were conducted and why their recommendations were ignored by both the management and government agencies.
- Rescue Efficacy: Evaluating the “adequacy and swiftness” of the rescue operation, including reports of delayed water supply to fire tenders.
The “Matchstick” Testimony
The notification follows a significant development on Monday, when four eyewitnesses—including a 13-year-old student—testified before a Judicial Magistrate.
- The Cause: Witnesses alleged the fire started in a shop selling artificial flowers and decor (Shop No. 193) after a child playing with matchsticks accidentally ignited flammable stock.
- The Spread: Testimony suggested that the “nuts and plastic” material of the flowers caused the fire to intensify so rapidly that shopkeepers were forced to flee within seconds.
The Human & Economic Toll
The January 17 inferno remains Karachi’s deadliest fire in over a decade:
- Casualties: 80 confirmed dead; several bodies identified only through DNA matching due to the intensity of the heat.
- Economic Loss: Estimated at Rs100 billion, with over 1,200 family-owned shops completely gutted.
- Structural Damage: Enginers have declared the building unsafe for occupancy, leaving thousands of traders without a livelihood.
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