Court grants bail to 5 accused, including 11-year-old boy, in Gul Plaza fire case

A sessions court in Karachi on Monday granted pre-arrest bail to five accused, including 11-year-old boy, in the Gul Plaza fire case.

Additional District and Sessions Judge South Muhammad Aslam Sheikh approved the bail applications, granting bail to 11-year-old suspect Huzaifa against surety bonds of Rs10,000, while the remaining accused were directed to furnish surety bonds of Rs500,000 each.

During the hearing, the court questioned why the minor's bail application had been filed before this court, observing that cases involving juveniles should be heard separately.

The defence counsel argued that the applications had been filed together because they arose from the same case. The court also sought details of the roles allegedly played by the accused. Defence counsel said Tanveer Pasta had been accused of ordering the electricity supply to be disconnected.

Responding to the court's questions, the lawyer said another accused, Naimatullah — the father of Huzaifa — had helped rescue people trapped in the building and that one office-bearer had lost his life during the incident.

The judge observed that the suspects had been booked under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relates to causing death, and remarked that the amount of diyat involved would be substantial.

The defence maintained that the accused were themselves victims of the incident and had been implicated to shield the negligence of government authorities. The lawyer said the suspects had rescued hundreds of people after the fire, while official rescue agencies had arrived late and without adequate equipment.