In Karachi, a meeting was held by the Judicial Commission to investigate the Gul Plaza tragedy under the chairmanship of Justice Agha Faisal. The commission convened at the office of the Deputy Commissioner South.
This inquiry came as families of those killed in the incident recorded their statements before the tribunal. Thirty-three individuals perished in the tragic event, which occurred when water shortages led to a building fire, blocking access routes and preventing timely evacuations due to locked windows.
Justice Agha Faisal conveyed his sorrow for the loss and emphasized that while financial compensation can be provided, nothing can replace human life. To prevent such tragedies in the future, he stated that comprehensive information will be sought from various sources including public, government bodies, rescue institutions, and authorities.
During their testimonies, families voiced serious concerns regarding the rescue efforts and performance of government institutions. They highlighted issues such as water shortages, inadequate capacity for firefighting, restricted access routes, and the failure to utilize an emergency announcement system effectively within the first 30 minutes of the incident.
Families also demanded a one-window facility for all grievances related to the incident, asserting that although the building had an emergency notification system, it was not promptly activated. They argued that if proper measures had been taken earlier, more lives could have been saved during the evacuation process.