Farooq Sattar. PHOTO: FILE
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launch a high-level judicial inquiry into the Gul Plaza tragedy, accusing the Sindh government and Karachi civic authorities of negligence, delays and misleading the public.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar said the scale of the tragedy had raised “serious and alarming questions” about governance and emergency response in the city.
The massive fire, which broke out late on January 17 in Gul Square and took almost two days to put out, left more than 100 people dead, according to the MQM-P, while several people are still missing and hundreds of families have been affected.
“This is a tragedy of an extremely serious nature. More than 100 people have lost their lives,” Sattar said. “Those who are still missing, who will take responsibility for providing for their families?
Read: From tragedy to blame, MQM and PPP exchange fire over Karachi governance
He added that the victims’ families were demanding that the bodies be recovered from the rubble. “The families say that everything is reduced to ashes. The building has collapsed. At least hand over the bodies of our loved ones,” he added.
Sattar claimed that people across the country were questioning the role of the Sindh government and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, but Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was diverting his responsibilities. “Questions are asked, but completely different answers are given. The question is simple. How did the fire start?”
He also criticized Chief Minister and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab for arriving at the scene hours after the fire broke out. “The fire broke out around 10 or 10:15 p.m. and the chief minister arrived after 10 p.m. The mayor arrived after 11 p.m.,” he said.
He questioned why key officials were giving instructions remotely. “From Islamabad, instructions are given to the provincial minister for local government. From Islamabad, requests are given to the deputy mayor. This is why criticism has intensified,” Sattar said.
Calling for accountability, he warned that negligence could not be ignored. “Do not consider our political compromises as our weakness. The people of Pakistan will not let you escape so easily,” he said.
Sattar raised concerns over fire safety and disaster preparedness in Karachi. “The whole country is in mourning, everyone’s eyes are in tears and you’re talking about lease issues. Was it written anywhere in the lease that a fire would break out or that it wouldn’t be put out?”
Learn more: Fire safety orders ignored despite Gul Plaza tragedy
He recognized the efforts of the firefighters but questioned their ability. “There are 25 fire stations in the city. How many have you increased? Over the years, how many firefighters have been added?” he asked.
He also claimed that most commercial buildings lack basic security measures. “Out of 275 buildings, 200 did not have proper fire safety arrangements. I tell the people of Karachi that more buildings will catch fire,” he warned.
He criticized the provincial disaster response. “Where’s your PDMA?” he asked.
Sattar also called for scrutiny of land allocations and commercial developments. “There will be questions on land allocation, mafia part, RJ Mall and Arshi Mall,” he said.
Concluding his speech, he accused the Sindh government of misplaced priorities. “You are building a paddle arena. You have destroyed parks and transformed sports fields into deserted spaces,” he said.
He said the MQM-P had demanded a judicial inquiry under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act. “From top to bottom, everyone must be held accountable,” Sattar said.
He added that MQM-P leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui had written to the Prime Minister seeking the formation of a high-level judicial commission. “Khalid Maqbool said that NAB and FIA should be included,” Sattar said, adding that ISI, IB, NDMA, State Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan Engineering Council should also be part of the investigation.
Memon hits back at Sattar
Sindh Chief Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon responded to Sattar’s press conference, saying that no matter how eloquent Sattar was, he could not distort the truth.
Memon said that as mayor of Karachi, Sattar played a direct and indirect role in decisions related to the lease, regularization and town planning of Gul Plaza, which laid the foundation for unsafe construction practices.
“These steps were taken even before the 18th Amendment,” Memon said. “The lease renewal, transfer and regularization documents were signed while he was mayor, and the responsibility for town planning rested on his shoulders. »
Learn more: Sindh Governor calls for judicial inquiry into Gul Plaza tragedy
He added that historical records and official documents show that the foundation for illegal constructions and unregulated regularizations in Karachi was laid during Sattar’s tenure. “When violations of the law were regularized and given legal protection, it essentially fostered a culture of unsafe buildings in the city,” he said.
Memon stressed that the Gul Plaza tragedy was not the result of a single day of negligence but the logical culmination of decades of poor decisions and administrative failures. “Those who laid the foundations for these erroneous decisions cannot escape questioning today,” he said.
“The people of Karachi deserve the truth, and the truth is that those who legitimized the illegal constructions are morally and politically responsible,” he concluded.
