DistantNews
Support us
11-year-old boy, 4 others accused in Karachi's Gul Plaza blaze granted interim bail
🇵🇰 Pakistan /Disasters & Emergencies

11-year-old boy, 4 others accused in Karachi's Gul Plaza blaze granted interim bail

From Dawn · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Five of six accused in Karachi's Gul Plaza fire, including an 11-year-old boy and the building's union president, were granted interim bail.
  • The fire, which started Jan. 17, claimed at least 73 lives and destroyed over 1,100 shops.
  • The charge sheet indicated the building lacked adequate fire safety measures and that exit points were blocked.

An additional district and sessions judge in Karachi granted interim bail on Monday to five of the six individuals accused in the deadly Gul Plaza fire. Among those granted bail are the building's union president and an 11-year-old boy.

The devastating inferno erupted on the night of January 17, engulfing the mall and taking nearly two days to extinguish. The tragedy resulted in at least 73 fatalities and left over 1,100 shops in ruins. The initial charge sheet named six individuals, including the 11-year-old, Huzaifa, his father Naimatullah, and Gul Plaza Management Committee President Tanveer Pasta, along with committee members Amar Ismail, Muhammad Ramazan, and Muhammad Ameen.

The contention required consideration and at this stage without touching the merits of the case, the applicants/accused persons are admitted to pre-arrest interim bail.

— Judge Muhammad Aslam ShaikhThe written order granting pre-arrest interim bail to the accused.

Lawyers confirmed that Naimatullah, Pasta, Ismail, and Ramazan were granted bail against a surety bond of Rs500,000 each. The child, Huzaifa, received interim bail for a surety of Rs10,000. The court ordered the accused to cooperate with the investigation and appear for the next hearing on July 14.

Evidence presented suggests significant negligence in fire safety. The charge sheet detailed that exit points were locked or blocked, fire extinguishers were insufficient, and no fire hydrant system was installed. Furthermore, call data records indicated that management committee members did not contact the fire brigade, showing a lack of emergency response.

The accused person to “cooperate with [the] investigation agency” and appear before the court at the next hearing.

— Judge Muhammad Aslam ShaikhInstructions given to the accused upon granting bail.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dawn. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog