Executive Summary and Investigation Findings
The Nabi Bux Police have officially submitted the investigative chargesheet (challan) for the Gul Plaza fire tragedy to the prosecution department for legal scrutiny before its final presentation in court. According to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency lab report, the catastrophic fire—which claimed 72 lives—was accidental in nature, showing no traces of explosive materials. The forensic investigation traced the origin of the inferno to Shop No. 193. The shop owner, Naimatullah, routinely left his 11-year-old son, Huzaifa, to manage the shop alone. On the day of the incident, the minor reportedly lit matchsticks and threw them, which ignited artificial flowers inside the shop and triggered the massive blaze. Consequently, the police have nominated both Naimatullah and his underage son as accused in the case due to extreme negligence.
Market Union Involvement and Liability
The chargesheet also heavily implicates the leadership of the Gul Plaza Market Committee, nominating President Tanveer Pasta, Vice President Ammar Ismail, General Secretary Muhammad Amin, and Joint Secretary Muhammad Ramadan as accused, though all currently remain unarrested. The investigation highlights a fatal chain of administrative failures, noting that the market union was negligent in failing to prevent a minor from working in the market. Furthermore, following the outbreak of the fire, the market administration failed to immediately call for emergency services or alert rescue teams, severely delaying the response.
Crisis Mismanagement and Procedural Status
The tragedy was further compounded by the market union’s operational mismanagement during the crisis. The chargesheet reveals that all main exit gates of Gul Plaza were kept locked, and the administration failed to open them in time, which hindered evacuation efforts and trapped panicked occupants inside the burning building. Additionally, Market Union President Tanveer Pasta contacted K-Electric to cut the power supply, plunging the smoke-filled building into pitch darkness and leaving people unable to find a way out. While the legal process moves forward with the recorded statements of four eyewitnesses under Section 164, the prosecution has noted that the police submitted this chargesheet without addressing most of their initial objections and failed to attach the crucial Judicial Commission Report. Out of the 72 casualties, the remains of four victims still remain unclaimed.
