Karachi | Pakistan

The Gul Plaza inferno that erupted on Saturday night, killing at least 21 people and injuring several others, is one of the deadliest fires Karachi has witnessed in recent years. It is also the latest reminder of a grim and familiar pattern in a metropolis where fires routinely destroy homes, businesses and livelihoods. Across Pakistan, fires frequently break out in residential, commercial and industrial buildings due to a toxic mix of crumbling infrastructure, weak enforcement of safety regulations and widespread negligence. Many structures lack basic fire exits, alarms and emergency response protocols, while faulty wiring and overloaded power systems sharply increase the risk of electrical short circuits. City planners and engineers estimate that around 70 per cent of Karachi’s residential, commercial and industrial buildings do not have an adequate fire safety system. Despite the frequency and scale of such incidents, accountability has remained elusive. Investigations are rarely concluded, recommendations...

Rescue workers on Monday combed through the rubble and debris of Karachi’s Gul Plaza in the aftermath of a deadly fire over the weekend. The fire started late on Saturday at Gul Plaza, which houses 1,200 shops in a multi-storey complex. The blaze in Karachi’s historic centre raged for more than 24 hours before it was mostly extinguished. Videos showed flames ripping through the building as firefighters laboured through the night to put out the blaze. On Monday, they began cooling the structure and clearing twisted metal and debris strewn across the street, along with fallen air-conditioning units and shop signboards. A firefighter works next to the smoldering remains of Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall on January 19, following a massive fire that broke out. — Reuters Police officers, rescue workers and shopkeepers gather at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall on January 19 after a massive fire broke out. — Reuters Rescue workers search for victims on January 19, following a massive fire that broke out in Karac...

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday said that there was no need to politicise the fire which broke out in Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall, saying that it was a “lesson for all of us”. She made the remarks in the Senate after Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Senator Khalida Ateeb called the House’s attention to the incident, lambasting the Sindh government for its negligence. Calling the incident “heartbreaking”, Rehman said that there could be no compensation for all of the lives lost in the incident. She asserted that the entire Sindh government was active and dealing with the situation. However, she conceded that the fire brigade took time to reach the site after the fire broke out as there was a large crowd gathered at the scene. She added that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had announced Rs10m as compensation for the affected families. “Shutting down private enterprise is harmful since this is such a big plaza. But fire safety is necessary for a city like Karachi and one should ask the administration...

KARACHI: National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Monday called for a “new Pakistan”, which is democratic, where there is rule of law, and where there is no cruelty. Achakzai — who is on a four-day visit to Sindh along with a delegation of opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) to mobilise the masses for a nationwide strike and protest rallies scheduled for February 8 — expressed these views while addressing lawyers at the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) in Karachi. Apart from him, other TTAP leaders, including Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI’s Asad Qaiser, also spoke at the seminar titled “Protecting the Basic Structure of the Constitution of Pakistan”. “Let’s make Pakistan a democratic country, a country where people have the power, and there is rule of law and the Constitution,” said Achakzai, adding that democracy had not been allowed to flourish in the country. “The country is ailing like a cancer patient.” “Let’s comply...

The death toll from the devastating fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping centre climbed to 14 on Monday after firefighters and rescuers brought the blaze under control following nearly 33 hours of gruelling efforts, officials said.

KARACHI - A search operation began late Sunday night at Karachi’s Gul Plaza after firefighters managed to douse a massive blaze that raged for nearly 24 hours, with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah confirming six deaths — including a firefighter — and more than 50 people still reported missing.

KARACHI: A search operation at Karachi’s Gul Plaza began after 10pm on Sunday evening as fire crews were finally able to douse the fire after 24 hours, with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah saying that six deaths have been confirmed, but over 50 people were reportedly missing. According to Rescue 1122 officials, their teams had finally managed to enter the charred building to launch a search for survivors and bodies as the cooling process was still underway. The fire, which erupted on Saturday night at the mall located on MA Jinnah Road, had been brought under control by about 70 per cent by late Sunday afternoon, officials said. Speaking to the media at around 7pm, CM Murad said, “I say with utmost grief that so far, it is confirmed that six people have lost their lives, including KMC firefighter Furqan Shaukat.” He added that 22 others were hurt and had now been discharged from hospitals as they had faced minor injuries. “But what is very concerning […] is that around 58 people — some people even say mor...

A fire that erupted at Karachi’s renowned Gul Plaza on Saturday night continued to rage for over 24 hours, as firefighters’ arduous efforts were only able to partially control it. While officials have confirmed six deaths so far, over 50 are reported missing. Scenes from the site showed fire tenders, water tankers and ambulances sprawling MA Jinnah Road, where worried families had gathered in search of their loved ones. Dawn takes a look at some of the scenes that marred the busy commercial road, crowded for an entirely different reason this time. Firefighters and rescue workers make efforts to douse a fire at the Gul Plaza shopping mall on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road on Jan 18, 2026. — Shakil Adil/White Star Firefighters douse a fire that broke out at the Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi on Jan 18, 2026. — AFP Shops at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall are reduced to rubble after a blaze erupted the previous night, on Jan 18, 2026. — Shakil Adil/White Star A distressed woman roams Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road, wh...

A large fire erupted at the Gul Plaza shopping mall on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road on Saturday night, killing at least three people, according to officials. Dr Sabir Memon, executive director of the Civil Hospital trauma centre, said three dead bodies had been brought to the facility. He said that all three were dead when they were brought to the hospital. South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that seven others were injured. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the fire erupted in shops located on the ground floor. However, he said there were people stuck on the upper portion of the high-rise building. “Six people have been injured and taken to the hospital,” he said. “Six fire tenders are busy controlling the fire; however, the situation is critical,” he said. Garden Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Mohsin Raza said in a statement that the fire appeared to have been caused by a short circuit at one of the shops, before spreading to the entire mall. He said that sev...

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori on Friday criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for “inciting acts of vandalism and road blockades” during his recent visit to Karachi, which he said led to “losses worth billions of rupees”. Afridi visited Karachi and other cities of Sindh last week as part of the PTI’s renewed anti-government agitation campaign called the “street movement”. The chief minister decried the treatment meted out to him by the Sindh government during his visit, alleging that the police tried to stop his motorcade and PTI supporters from staging a peaceful protest at Mazar-i-Quaid. The Sindh government denied the allegations, stating that the Jinnah Ground was under the control of the Centre, so it was not entitled to issue a no-objection certificate to the party. Speaking to reporters in Karachi, Governor Tessori said that the PTI had “turned the whole country upside down, but the agitation was confined to social media and had no value on the ground.” Referring to KP CM’s Karachi...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi landed in Karachi on Thursday for a brief visit, just days after concluding his mobilisation drive in the city. CM Afridi boarded a flight from Islamabad to Karachi earlier in the day, according to his focal person for digital media Yar Muhammad Khan Niazi. Late in the afternoon, the PTI said on X that the KP CM had arrived in Karachi to offer condolences to the family of Bilal Mehsud, a party worker who the PTI said died in a “tragic accident that took place during the rally in Karachi”. It said CM Afridi would directly head to Mehsud’s family residence in Sohrab Goth from the Karachi airport, where he would meet the worker’s relatives and convey his sympathies. The PTI said party leaders and workers accorded a warm welcome to the KP chief minister, and raised slogans in favour of ex-premier Imran Khan. Shortly after 11am, the chief minister’s X account said he had departed for Karachi on a one-day visit. An accompanying video showed Afridi arriving at the airp...

The Met Office on Thursday forecast likely rainfall in Karachi as a weak westerly wave system is expected to enter the country from January 16.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that work on the long-awaited Karachi–Chaman highway, often referred to as a bloody road due to frequent accidents, has formally begun and will now be completed within a year instead of the originally planned two years.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday announced that the city administration would soon end the supply of water through hydrants, saying he had directed the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to develop an alternative water distribution strategy. Karachi faces an acute water shortage as the metropolis requires over 1,200 million gallons of water daily (MGD), but gets only 650MGD. Many parts of the city are supplied via water tankers from hydrants. Speaking to the media after the inauguration of the Jehangir Road Rehabilitation project, Mayor Wahab outlined plans to “abolish” the hydrant system and directed KWSC officials to develop a strategy for fair distribution of water across the metropolis. “The contract period for each hydrant is two years, and that period for the city’s seven hydrants has expired,” the mayor said, adding that when deciding if the contracts should be renewed, he recommended that the hydrants should be closed instead. “There should be fair distribution of water in the city,...

KARACHI - The Sindh government on Saturday officially allowed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a public rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Karachi.

A woman who was unlawfully confined and chained to a bed in Karachi’s Darakhshan area was rescued by police on Saturday, according to a senior police official. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that police received a call about a woman unlawfully confined and bound with chains in a third-floor flat in Darakhshan Commercial Area. The station house officer Darakhshan immediately reached the scene. The flat was found locked from the inside, with police breaking the lock and entering in the presence of neighbours, the DIG said. “Inside the bedroom, a woman was found with iron chains tied around her neck, hands and feet. The chains were cut with power tools and the woman was freed,” he added. The victim, a resident of Shireen Jinnah Colony, alleged that her ex-husband called her to the flat under the pretext of giving her money for their children. When she arrived at about 9am, her ex-husband and his friend allegedly confined her in the bedroom and chained her to the bed. She further st...

Prime Minister‘s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is engaging in “illegal activity and travel” by trying to mobilise the party’s support base for a nationwide street movement. The KP chief executive is currently in Karachi as part of the PTI’s plans to launch a street movement, as per the directions of party founder Imran Khan. Speaking on the Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath’, the PM’s aide said that the PTI was in no position to launch a street movement and described their upcoming nationwide wheel-jam strike on February 8 as “violence”. “They cannot mobilise because it isn’t in accordance with the law. The KP CM is involved in illegal activity and his travel is illegal,” Sanaullah said. When asked what part of CM Afridi’s visit was illegal, Sanaullah replied: “How is a wheel-jam strike a political activity permitted by the law and Constitution? Holding a wheel-jam strike in and of itself is illegal.” Sanaullah a...

KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Friday evening continued his efforts to rally PTI’s support base in Karachi to support the party’s upcoming nationwide street movement. After his visit to the Karachi Press Club (KPC), the provincial chief executive was scheduled to visit Insaf House and hold public meetings in the city’s district South and Malir. Earlier in the evening, Afridi reached the KPC and met with the city’s journalist fraternity while appreciating the welcome extended to him by the Sindh government. From the airport, the KP CM’s convoy took six hours to reach the press club, accompanied by a large crowd of party supporters. During his interaction with the media, Afridi compared his arrival in the metropolis with his recent visit to Lahore and said, “Karachi has been more welcoming than Lahore”. “The democratic traditions of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto are still alive in Sindh,” said the KP CM during his interaction with journalists at the press club. The KP chief...

KARACHI: A woman was allegedly shot dead by her husband, a serving police official, over ‘honour’ in Karachi’s Shadman Town on Friday, according to police. A police spokesperson said in a statement that the 40-year-old woman was shot and injured by her husband in their home. During the initial probe, it transpired that the incident occurred over a “domestic dispute”. “After receiving information [about the incident], the police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured woman to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where she expired,” Senior Superintendent of Police (Central) Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn that the body bore “two gunshot injuries to [the] torso, through and through”. The SSP, meanwhile, added that the suspect — who fled the scene — is a serving police inspector posted with the Special Investigation Unit (SIU). SSP Siddiqi said it was the victim’s second marriage. “The suspect had doubts that his wife was still in ‘contact’ with her former husband,” he said. “CCTV f...

KARACHI: A young couple was gunned down over ‘honour’ in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area on Thursday, according to police and rescue services officials. They stated that a 30-year-old man and his 28-year-old wife were found dead inside a home in Lasi Goth with gunshot wounds. Sohrab Goth Station House Officer Gul Baig told Dawn that the double murder appeared to be an ‘honour’ killing and said that the victims got married in Larkana district around six months ago. “They moved to Karachi and were living in a rented house, where the girl’s relatives traced and allegedly shot them dead,” SHO Baig said. “The police called the Crime Scene Unit to collect evidence [and] the bodies were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for legal formalities.” Meanwhile, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IG) Javed Alam Odho took notice of the double murder in Sohrab Goth, spokesperson Syed Saad Ali said. “The IG sought details of the incident from the DIG (Deputy Inspector General) East,” Ali said. “He also ordered the immediate arrest o...