KARACHI — The legal proceedings surrounding the catastrophic Gul Plaza fire took a dramatic turn during the latest hearing at the city court, as a key witness came forward with serious allegations against Market Association President Tanveer Pasta. The testimony has intensified scrutiny on the administrative handling of the disaster, which claimed dozens of lives and exposed profound safety vulnerabilities within Karachi's commercial hubs.
According to details presented before the judicial magistrate, the witness recorded a formal statement detailing the chaotic conditions inside the multistory shopping complex as thick smoke and flames engulfed the structure. Crucially, the testimony alleged that Tanveer Pasta and other members of the management committee were directly responsible for blocking rooftop access and keeping emergency exit routes locked. The witness stated that these restrictions trapped hundreds of panic-stricken shoppers and shopkeepers inside the burning building, drastically cutting off their escape avenues.
Furthermore, the deposition highlighted systemic failures in emergency communication. Referring to investigative findings, the witness claimed that market leadership failed to notify the fire brigade promptly when the flames first erupted on the lower floor. This delay, compounded by locked exits and obstructed corridors, transformed the commercial center into a death trap, with most victims succumbing to suffocation in the upper tiers before rescue teams could break through the barriers.
The tragedy, which struck the bustling market along M.A. Jinnah Road, triggered nationwide outrage and prompted the formation of high-level judicial inquiry commissions. Investigators previously noted that a significant majority of the casualties occurred on the upper levels because vital evacuation passages, stairwells, and roof gates were kept bolted. Traders and victims' families have repeatedly asserted that routine administrative negligence and unauthorized structural blockages played a monumental role in amplifying the disaster's death toll.
