Mustafa Kamal. Photo: ARCHIVE
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI:
Although the embers of the deadly Gul Plaza fire have barely cooled, Thursday’s tragedy turned into a bitter political clash between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), reigniting long-standing disputes over governance, accountability and control of Karachi.
Seizing the moment, Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal took aim at the Sindh government during a press conference at the MQM headquarters in Bahadurabad, declaring that Karachi was being subjected to “democratic terrorism” and even “genocide”.
He demanded that the metropolis be declared Pakistan’s economic capital and placed under federal control, arguing that the city had paid an unbearable price for political compromises reached elsewhere.
He demanded that Karachi be declared a federal territory under Articles 148 and 149 of the Constitution and formally recognized as the economic capital of Pakistan, insisting that this could be achieved within the existing constitutional framework.
Kamal said that after 18 years of PPP rule, all questions about fires and urban disasters were diverted by resurrecting the Baldia factory tragedy, adding that the present MQM-P bears no responsibility for such crimes.
Referring to the political “double standard”, Kamal recalled that there was a time when even the president of the country sought support from the MQM centre, illustrating the selective memory and opportune alliances in national politics.
Kamal further lamented that Karachi has been abandoned to tragedy and asked how many more people must burn to death and how many more children must die after falling into open sewers before the State intervenes.
He said the city had been handed over to forces under whose watch the daily death toll once exceeded triple digits, calling it “open democratic terrorism.”
Rejecting “recycled accusations” such as quota systems being extortion, he said none of this justifies the current collapse of governance.
Citing repeated fires, including incidents during MQM mayoral terms such as the Bolton Market fire, Kamal said disasters had not escaped any political era but accountability remained elusive.
He alleged that even a willing prime minister was prevented from acting on behalf of Karachi because displeasing the PPP could destabilize governments, whether during Imran Khan’s tenure, the no-confidence motion or the current coalition.
The PP counterattacks
Meanwhile, the Sindh government responded strongly. Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon rejected the demand to hand over Karachi to the federation, saying such calls were made by those who “had burnt people alive for extortion money”.
At a news conference in Karachi, Memon said blaming the 18th Amendment and proposing federal control would not prevent tragedies.
Responding to Mustafa Kamal, he said he would respond using his own words, recalling the Baldia factory fire, the May 12 violence and the Bolton market fire after Ashura, which he said had been documented in JIT reports.
Memon accused the MQM-P of stripping traders of their livelihoods and questioned the timing of the political rhetoric when the families of the Gul Plaza victims were still searching for their loved ones.
He reproduced excerpts from Kamal’s previous press conferences and referred to Kamal’s comments about the MQM-P leadership and coalition partners, as well as complaints about his conduct during his tenure as mayor of Karachi.
Memon said that despite having strong responses, the Sindh government would avoid gaining political points and support the bereaved families.
He questioned whether Kamal, who is running as a representative of Karachi and is federal health minister, had visited the scene or contacted the families of the victims.
Memon termed the Gul Plaza incident as tragic and heartbreaking and said that all Pakistanis were in mourning and human life was priceless. He said the government was operating on a single-point agenda: recovery and accountability.
According to him, the bodies are being recovered and handed over to the families, identification is being carried out through DNA tests and of the 86 people initially missing, two have been located in hospitals while search operations continue for the rest.
He said the prime minister had met the affected families and assured them of his full support, citing previous compensation efforts after market fires in the past.
Memon added that an inspection report prepared in January 2024 had been sent to the commissioner and deputy commissioner, and that investigations would determine whether Gul Plaza had received notices and whether negligence occurred during the interim government’s tenure.
He said action would be taken where failures were found. Emphasizing the need for preventive measures, Memon said traders had been consulted, fire safety compliance would be enforced and while almost 90 per cent of buildings across Pakistan lacked fire escapes and proper equipment, SOPs were being implemented in new constructions.
He also revealed that the government was considering interest-free loans for affected traders and criticized attempts to politicize the tragedy, warning against riots and paid-for campaigns afterwards.
He added that similar political resistance had emerged earlier against the e-challan system, despite its role in improving transport discipline in Karachi.
