KARACHI: Police have submitted the challan in the Gul Plaza fire case to the prosecution, nominating six suspects, including an 11-year-old boy, and declaring all of them ‘absconders’, according to the investigation report.
The fire, which claimed 72 lives, has been classified as accidental based on forensic findings. A report by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency, prepared after analysing samples collected by a Lahore crime scene unit, found no traces of explosive material at the site. Investigators also said the remains of four victims are yet to be claimed.
According to the investigation, the blaze originated in Shop No. 193, owned by Naimatullah, who allegedly left the shop under the supervision of his 11-year-old son, Huzaifa. The report states that the fire broke out after the child lit matchsticks and threw them, igniting artificial flowers stored inside the shop. Investigators held both Naimatullah and Huzaifa responsible for negligence.
The report also blames the market union for a series of failures that contributed to the scale of the tragedy. It says the union failed to prevent a minor from working unsupervised, did not issue an emergency alert or call for assistance after the fire erupted, and failed to unlock the plaza’s main gates in time, trapping people inside.
It further alleges that union president Tanveer Pasta instructed K-Electric to disconnect power to the building, plunging the market into darkness and making escape more difficult.
The nominated suspects include Naimatullah, Huzaifa, market committee president Tanveer Pasta, vice-president Ammar Ismail, general secretary Muhammad Amin and joint secretary Muhammad Ramzan.
The report states that statements from four eyewitnesses were recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code during the investigation. However, sources said the findings of the Gul Plaza Judicial Commission were not included in the challan.
Gul Plaza Fire
The Gul Plaza fire erupted on the night of January 17, 2026, killing 72 people after flames engulfed the ground-plus-three-storey commercial building and triggered a partial collapse. A manslaughter case was subsequently registered against unidentified persons, while investigators launched an inquiry into the cause of the blaze and possible negligence.
The submission of the challan comes after months of delays. An earlier attempt to file the charge sheet was rejected by prosecutors, who identified several deficiencies and directed the investigating officer to include site inspection reports, documents related to the plaza, details of former market union officials and records from an anti-corruption case concerning the building’s alleged unauthorised construction.
During the investigation, police concluded that the market union had failed to contact emergency services after the fire broke out, while also failing to stop a minor from running an artificial flower shop in his father’s absence. Investigators further found that the building’s exit gates were locked and that fire safety equipment was either absent or inadequate. Forensic analysis found no evidence of explosives or accelerants.
Witness statements recorded before a judicial magistrate also alleged that the fire began after the shop owner’s young son was seen playing with matchsticks inside the artificial flower shop, with other shopkeepers corroborating the account.
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