KARACHI: The investigation officer in the Gul Plaza fire tragedy case failed to submit the challan before the City Court on Saturday, resulting in another delay in the legal proceedings against the accused.

During the hearing, all the nominated suspects, including Tanveer Pasta, president of the Gul Plaza Association, were produced before the court. However, the investigating officer could not present the case challan, citing the ongoing investigation.

The court subsequently extended the interim bail of Tanveer Pasta and the other accused and adjourned further proceedings until September 5.

Gul Plaza Fire Case Investigation Faces Further Delay

The latest development comes days after the previous hearing on August 4, when the investigation into the deadly Gul Plaza fire remained incomplete due to what officials described as a lack of cooperation from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the Water Corporation.

At that hearing, the investigating officer requested additional time from the court to complete the investigation and submit the required challan.

The court had previously granted Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Amir Warak additional time to complete the investigation. The investigating officer informed the court that statements from officials of two departments had still not been recorded.

Statements From Government Departments Recorded

According to sources, investigators have already recorded statements from officials of six government departments as part of the Gul Plaza fire investigation.

These include the Traffic Police, Fire Brigade, Civil Defence, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Deputy Commissioner South’s Office and Rescue 1122.

Officials from the remaining departments are expected to record their statements as the investigation progresses, according to sources.

The completion of these statements is considered important for investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the fire, determine whether safety and emergency procedures were followed, and identify any lapses that may have contributed to the scale of the tragedy.

Investigators Raise Questions Over Tanveer Pasta’s Role

The investigation has reportedly placed greater responsibility on Tanveer Pasta, with investigators alleging that he failed to fulfill his responsibilities after the fire broke out.

According to investigators, Pasta allegedly did not immediately inform the Fire Brigade after the incident and instead contacted K-Electric.

The investigating officer has already recorded statements from Tanveer Pasta and several other individuals, including Ammar Ismail, Amin, Ramzan, Nematullah and Hudaifa, as part of the probe.

The previous investigating officer had nominated six individuals, including Gul Plaza Union President Tanveer Pasta, as accused in the case. Pasta and the other suspects are currently out on interim bail.

Deadly Gul Plaza Fire Claimed Dozens of Lives

The Gul Plaza fire broke out on the night of January 17 and engulfed the commercial building in one of Karachi’s deadliest recent fire incidents. The blaze continued for more than 32 hours before emergency teams succeeded in bringing it under control.

The devastating incident claimed dozens of lives and raised serious questions about fire safety, emergency preparedness, building regulations and the enforcement of safety standards in commercial buildings.

The prolonged firefighting operation also highlighted concerns regarding access for emergency responders and the preparedness of relevant civic and government departments.

Court Awaits Completion of Investigation

With the challan still not submitted, the court has given investigators more time to complete the remaining aspects of the probe. The next hearing has been scheduled for September 5, when the investigation’s progress and the status of the challan are expected to come under review.

The Gul Plaza case remains closely watched as investigators continue to determine responsibility for the tragedy. The final challan is expected to provide the court with details of the evidence collected, statements recorded and allegations against the nominated accused.

The continued delay in submitting the challan means the legal proceedings will remain dependent on the completion of the investigation and the submission of the required case record before the court.