KARACHI: During a hearing at the City Court concerning the Gul Plaza fire tragedy, the court rejected a defense plea to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), clarifying that JITs are reserved for terrorism cases, and adjourned the case until September 18 to decide whether to approve the challan and formally name government institutions as co-accused.
During the proceedings, Prosecutor Hassan Bhatti held accused Tanveer Pasta primarily responsible for negligence, stating he failed to alert firefighters promptly. In contrast, defense counsel Javed Mir argued that government bodies—including KMC, SBCA, and the Fire Department—were unjustly given a clean chit in the challan. He claimed that the 70-plus fatalities resulted from institutional incompetence and suffocation rather than the fire itself, pointing out that rescue equipment like the snorkel malfunctioned and emergency responders were completely unprepared. Meanwhile, Investigative Officer DSP Amir Wark maintained that relevant agencies and shopkeepers shared responsibility, confirming that statements from Civil Defense officials have now been recorded.
The hearing also saw a dramatic moment when a visibly emotional Tanveer Pasta broke down in court, defending his actions, highlighting that he aided victims and distributed over PKR 7 billion in relief funds, while questioning why he was being blamed when official response mechanisms failed.
