Electric inspections remain suspended for 20 years, body probing Gul Plaza fire told

KARACHI: A judicial commission investigating the deadly Gul Plaza building fire was told on Tuesday that electrical inspections in Karachi have been suspended for the past 20 years, raising fresh concerns over safety oversight in Pakistan’s largest city.

The commission, headed by Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court, heard testimony from Electric Inspector Pervez Ahmed, who said his department had been barred from conducting inspections since 2003.

“Our job is to check electrical infrastructure and review fire-fighting equipment, including expiry dates,” Ahmed told the commission. “Inspections have been suspended for 20 years.”

When asked why, he said the department and the energy ministry had issued instructions halting the work. He presented a notification to the commission, which Justice Faisal noted was issued in 2003 by the irrigation and power authorities.

“If you were already instructed from above to stop work, why were you called?” the judge remarked.

The hearing also examined the response to the Gul Plaza blaze, which killed dozens and exposed gaps in emergency preparedness.

Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan testified that recruitment into the fire brigade has been suspended since 2009 and that 12 of 22 posts remain vacant.

He said the chief fire officer’s post was upgraded to Grade 19 after 35 years, and that he was serving both as chief and team leader.

Journalist Mohammad Babar, who had submitted statements regarding the incident, was cross-examined and acknowledged he was not present on the first day of the fire but entered the building later.

Civilian rescuer Mohammad Danish told the commission he reached Gul Plaza at 10:20 am and used a ladder from a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) fire tender to rescue people through a small grilled window. He said heavy smoke prevented entry into the building.

“The last person I rescued fainted. While bringing him down, the ladder fell and I was left stranded,” Danish said, adding that he was eventually brought down using a ladder from a Rescue 1122 vehicle.

Rescue 1122 Director General Syed Wajid Sibghatullah said his department operates with limited resources, with four stations and seven fire tenders in Karachi. The first Rescue 1122 fire tender was dispatched from DHA and arrived at 10:53 am, he said.

“We received the report with a delay of 20 to 25 minutes, which delayed our departure and cost us critical time,” he told reporters after the hearing.

He said Rescue 1122 lacks essential heavy equipment such as snorkels, aerial ladders and excavators, which hindered rescue operations. Most fatalities occurred on the ground floor and mezzanine level, he added.

Following the session, Sibghatullah said lives could not be saved because authorities informed Rescue 1122 late. He also said a “major mistake” was switching off electricity at the building, which trapped people inside and reduced escape options.

Separately, Mustafa Safvi, chairman of the Rampa Plaza Association, raised concerns that the damaged Gul Plaza building was tilting toward M.A. Jinnah Road, a major traffic artery. Justice Faisal said the matter did not fall within the commission’s terms of reference.

The judicial commission adjourned proceedings, with further hearings expected to continue examining safety lapses and emergency response failures surrounding the Gul Plaza tragedy.