Gul Plaza fire: Karachi police form special team to arrest suspects

Karachi police have formed a special investigation team to arrest the suspects involved in the deadly Gul Plaza fire and to ensure what officials described as a fair and thorough probe into the incident.

According to an order issued by South Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Asad Raza, the five-member team has been tasked with identifying and arresting those responsible for the blaze and conducting an impartial investigation.

The notification said the team would make “all-out and diligent efforts” to arrest the suspect by using all available resources.

The investigation team includes the Garden sub-divisional police officer, the deputy superintendent of police for investigations in Kharadar, the in-charge of the Garden Central Investigation Cell, the station house officer of Nabi Bux police station—where the FIR was registered—and the designated investigation officer.

Earlier, police registered a first information report (FIR) on January 23, describing the fire as the result of negligence and carelessness. The case has been lodged against unknown persons, as no suspects have been formally named so far.

The order also allows the team to seek assistance from any officer or official of the South Zone police if required to move the case forward. DIG Raza has directed the team to submit a daily progress report to his office.

The fire broke out at Gul Plaza on the night of January 17 and continued for nearly two days before being brought under control. The incident has so far claimed at least 73 lives, while more than 1,100 shops were destroyed. Authorities have been able to identify only 23 of the victims to date.