Information Commission orders disclosure after party alleges cover-up in deadly fire probe
Fire in Gul Plaza. PHOTO: XINHUA
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday criticized the Sindh government for what it called deliberate concealment of the investigation report on the Gul Plaza fire, following an interim order by the Sindh Information Commission.
In a statement, the party spokesperson welcomed the commission’s ruling, calling it a victory for the people of Sindh and a setback for what he described as a “corrupt feudal system” and bureaucratic collusion within provincial departments.
The spokesperson said the interim order, issued following a complaint filed by lawyer Muhammad Tariq Mansoor, had raised serious questions about the provincial government’s role in withholding the judicial commission’s findings into the deadly fire.
According to the statement, the single-member judicial commission headed by Justice Agha Faisal had submitted a comprehensive inquiry report, comprising four additional volumes, to the law secretary on April 7, 2026, in the presence of the media and public.
However, when a request was made under the Right to Information (RTI) act on April 28 seeking access to the report, the law secretary’s office allegedly refused to entertain the request, drawing criticism from the information commission.
The MQM-P spokesperson termed the move as a violation of Article 19-A of the Constitution, which guarantees the right of citizens to access information, adding that the commission had also expressed its displeasure over the matter.
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He further claimed that the absence of the report had already affected the judicial proceedings, pointing out that a judicial magistrate returned a police charge sheet in a related case registered at the Nabi Bakhsh police station due to the failure of the investigating officer to provide investigation findings.
“This reflects the extent to which the provincial government protects those responsible and obstructs justice,” the spokesperson alleged.
The statement also criticized the legal department for shifting responsibility to the home department, calling it an attempt to deflect responsibility.
The Sindh Information Commission has since directed the Home Secretary to submit the full report of the Gul Plaza Judicial Commission, along with a separate inquiry report of the Karachi Commissioner dated January 20, 2026, in the next hearing scheduled for July 8.
The MQM-P pledged to address the matter in all available forums, including courts and accountability institutions, until those responsible are held accountable and justice is served to the families of the victims.
