Gul Plaza tragedy: PPP's Shehla Raza walks out of live TV show

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Shehla Raza abruptly walked out of a live programme after expressing strong displeasure over a question raised by the anchor.

During the broadcast on ARy News, the presenter referred to a statement Shehla Raza had made earlier in the Sindh Assembly, which prompted an angry response from her.

Objecting to what she described as a distorted presentation of her remarks, Shehla Raza left the programme mid-discussion.

She stated that her comments were being taken out of context and added that she would respond to the allegations at a later stage. She also complained that other guests on the programme were being given more time to speak, which she said was unfair.

Earlier in the show, Shehla Raza had shared historical details related to the Gul Plaza tragedy. She said the building’s foundation was laid in 1980 and initially comprised 1,021 shops.

According to her, additional shops were added in 2003, at a time when the mayor belonged to Jamaat-e-Islami, while approval for the expansion was obtained from the Musharraf government by the MQM.

The PPP lawmaker described the Gul Plaza incident as a major tragedy and stressed that accountability was essential. She emphasised that the issue should not be used for political point-scoring.

Shehla Raza also outlined the timeline of the fire, stating that the blaze was reported at 10:26 pm, while four fire brigade vehicles reached the site at 10:45 pm.

To control the fire, 16 fire tenders, two water bowsers and three snorkels were deployed. Due to the intensity of the fire, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori also sought assistance from the Pakistan Navy.