Sharjeel Memon says Sindh High Court will be requested to appoint a serving judge to review and decide the matter
Karachi
The Sindh government on Thursday announced that the investigation into the Gul Plaza tragedy would be conducted through a judicial commission.
On the night of January 17, 2026, a devastating fire broke out at Gul Plaza, a multi-storey building on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road, claiming the lives of at least 79 people.
The blaze, which reportedly started on the ground floor, quickly spread through the building, leaving dozens injured, while several bodies remain unidentified.
In the aftermath, political tensions in the city have escalated, with calls for federal or military oversight, and a sharp exchange of accusations between the MQM-P and the ruling PPP in Sindh.
Addressing a press conference, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the high court would be requested to appoint a serving judge to review and decide the matter.
The minister was flanked by Karachi police chief Azad Khan and Commissioner Hassan Naqvi.
Memon said that following the Gul Plaza incident, a special cabinet meeting was convened during which a sub-committee was formed. He added that the chief minister had also constituted a separate fact-finding committee, whose report was now received.
“Today, important decisions have been taken by the chief minister in light of the committee’s report,” he said.
He said that, to ensure greater transparency in the decisions of the fact-finding and cabinet committees and to facilitate further investigation, a letter was being sent to the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court. The government would request that a serving judge of the High Court be appointed to conduct a judicial inquiry, so that all aspects could be reviewed and a decision taken in accordance with the law.
He added that the government had never considered itself above accountability and had itself identified the areas where shortcomings were observed. “The government has admitted where its deficiencies were,” he said.
