11-Year-Old to Stand Trial Over Karachi's Gul Plaza Fire

A charge sheet submitted to a court has recommended that an 11-year-old boy be tried in connection with the devastating fire at Karachi's Gul Plaza Shopping Centre on January 17, which claimed 72 lives.

The charge sheet was filed on Saturday by the investigating officer (IO) through District Prosecutor Abdul Razzaq Gujjar. A day earlier, another prosecutor had returned the report, directing the IO to address several deficiencies and include the findings of a judicial commission. Gujjar, however, allowed the charge sheet to be filed, saying the commission's report could be submitted later.

According to the investigation, the blaze killed 72 people, injured eight others and destroyed 1,153 shops.

The IO named six accused in the case: 11-year-old Huzaifa; his father, Naimatullah, who owns an artificial flower shop; and four members of the Gul Plaza Management Committee—Tanveer Pasta, Amar Ismail, Muhammad Ramazan and Muhammad Ameen. All six have been listed as absconders. The prosecution has identified 42 witnesses.

The charge sheet states that several witnesses recorded statements before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. One witness, 13-year-old Aryan, told investigators he was at Huzaifa's shop when the boy was playing with matchsticks before the fire suddenly erupted. His account was corroborated by two other eyewitnesses, Mohammad Talha and Hamza Amir, who also stated that Naimatullah regularly left the shop in the care of his underage son.

Investigators said call data records showed Naimatullah was not at the shop when the fire broke out.

The report alleges that the management committee failed to prevent an underage child from operating the shop alone or take action against the owner.

It also cites serious safety lapses at the shopping centre, including locked or blocked emergency exits, an inadequate number of fire extinguishers and firefighting equipment, the absence of a fire hydrant system, and a lack of emergency backup lighting after electricity was cut during the blaze.

The charge sheet further alleges that call data records indicate the management committee members did not contact the fire brigade or emergency rescue services, reflecting negligence in responding to the incident.

As Huzaifa is a juvenile, the IO said the case against him has been filed before a juvenile court.

The remaining accused face charges under multiple provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code, including negligent handling of fire, manslaughter, causing injuries through negligence, mischief by fire, and acting with common intention.

The investigation has faced repeated procedural hurdles. Investigating Officer Inspector Pervez Ahmed Bhutto had previously attempted to submit the charge sheet three times, but prosecutors Muhammad Arif Sitai and Asadullah Maitlo returned it each time, citing shortcomings.

The prosecution had instructed the IO to include officials from relevant regulatory authorities and previous administrative bodies as potential accused, and to attach certified copies of the judicial commission's findings and the Sindh government's Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.

Despite those objections, the IO submitted the charge sheet without incorporating the requested revisions or obtaining the judicial commission and JIT reports.