Karachi (HRNW) — Afaaq Ahmed, chairman of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan, has expressed disappointment over the Gul Plaza Commission’s investigation, calling its findings and approach deeply flawed and questionable.
Speaking to a delegation of traders at his residence, Afaaq Ahmed criticized the commission for praising the DC South and the DG SBCA, calling it “incomprehensible,” while noting that statements from provincial government officials before the commission were misleading. He highlighted that even official data confirms that 73 people were killed in the fire, and yet the responsible parties are being lauded, raising doubts and suspicion.
Ahmed raised serious concerns about the identification of victims, noting that a government doctor admitted to the commission that some bodies were recovered in packets, with bones and flesh mixed together, questioning how the final figure of 73 victims could be considered accurate. He said:
“In the Gul Plaza case, it’s not just a minor flaw — the entire process is flawed. Even the appointment of two lawyers and a reader as commission assistants is surprising; experts should have been engaged to aid the investigation.”
He further criticized the commission’s handling of six surviving victims, who were summoned on February 25, pointing out that no arrangements for their security were disclosed.
Afaaq Ahmed also criticized the police’s role, stating that the SHO hastily blamed two children for the fire in the FIR, undermining confidence that victims could provide statements free from pressure. He added that the Gul Plaza Association president admitted in court that the organization had no legal standing, and had shifted blame to children, which Ahmed described as evidence of collusion between the association and the government.
Given these concerns, Ahmed demanded that the commission should have included officers from FIA, MI, ISI, and IB, or at minimum functioned as an auxiliary to the court, rather than being led by a person facing a judicial reference.
He urged the Supreme Court to take suo moto action and form a new independent commission. Ahmed also warned that the fire in a 9-story building just days after the Gul Plaza tragedy, which killed 16 people, shows lessons are not being learned and further disasters are likely if reforms are not implemented.
🔹 For more investigative updates and accountability reporting:
👉 hrnww.com/support-us
