The inferno that devastated Gul Plaza in Karachi this weekend was not a bolt from the blue, but the grim and predictable result of long-standing negligence, regulatory apathy and institutional failure.
As flames tore through Saddar’s commercial building, killing at least 21 people and leaving many others missing or injured, Karachi was forced to confront a reality it has refused to address for decades: This city does not take fire safety seriously, and its people are paying the price.
Shock has occurred across the country, but in Karachi the reaction has been painfully familiar. There is pain, indignation and disbelief, closely followed by a weary sense of inevitability. For those who live and work here, tragedies like this feel less like accidents and more like delayed consequences.
Gul Plaza was a thriving, busy market where hundreds of people worked daily amid shops packed with clothing, plastics, cosmetics and other combustible products. Like so many commercial buildings in the city, it operated under the assumption that a disaster would not occur. That assumption proved lethal. While initial indications point to an electrical short circuit as a spark, it was the environment – overcrowded, poorly designed and largely unregulated – that allowed the fire to grow uncontrollably and become deadly.
As smoke quickly filled the structure, escape became nearly impossible. Narrow hallways became bottlenecks, exits were inaccessible or inadequately marked, and basic security systems failed to provide any meaningful protection. If fire alarms or sprinklers existed, they offered no effective warning or suppression.
Many of those trapped inside had no clear route to safety. Firefighters arrived to confront a fire that was already raging, battling the flames under extreme conditions, slowed by traffic congestion, limited access and the dangerous layout of the building. By the time the fire was contained, lives had already been lost and livelihoods destroyed.
Karachi has been here before. Industrial fires, market infernos and building collapses dot the city’s recent history. Each incident follows the same script: condolences are given, committees are formed, compensation is announced, and then attention is diverted elsewhere.
Structural reform is postponed, law enforcement is weakened again, and unsafe buildings continue to function as if nothing has happened. Gul Plaza is not an anomaly; It is another entry in a long and shameful record.
Behind this cycle is a deeply ingrained culture of contempt. In theory, fire safety regulations exist, but they are rarely rigorously enforced. Buildings are approved without extensive inspections and, once operational, are repeatedly modified to maximize commercial space at the expense of safety.
Power grids are overloaded, emergency exits are sacrificed for storage or display, and hazardous materials are piled up in tight spaces. When inspections are carried out, they are often treated as procedural exercises rather than life-saving interventions.
The city’s emergency response capacity offers little reassurance. Karachi’s fire department is overstretched, under-resourced and ill-equipped for a city of this size and complexity. Fire stations are not sufficiently spread out, response times are affected by congestion and encroachments, and much of the equipment is outdated.
Firefighters are routinely sent into dangerous situations with limited protective equipment and inadequate training for large commercial or high-rise fires. Expecting them to make up for decades of urban mismanagement is neither reasonable nor fair.
Poor urban planning magnifies the danger even further. Commercial districts like Saddar are crowded beyond capacity, with roads narrowed by illegal construction, street vendors and rampant development. Emergency access is treated as a luxury rather than a necessity. Under such conditions, even a small fire can become a mass casualty event in a matter of minutes.
None of this is inevitable. Around the world, cities with comparable density and risk profiles have reduced fire-related deaths through strict enforcement, professional oversight, and political will. Karachi can do the same, but only if it decides to value human life above convenience and profit. Fire safety should be treated as a fundamental civic responsibility, not an optional add-on to urban growth.
Commercial buildings should be required to meet contemporary safety standards in practice, not just in documentation. Functional detection systems, functioning sprinklers, clearly accessible exits, and fire-resistant construction materials should be non-negotiable requirements. Inspections should be carried out periodically by independent bodies and violations should have real consequences, including closure where justified. No building should be permitted to operate if it poses a known risk to human life.
At the same time, significant investments are needed in fire and rescue services. Expanding the number of fire stations, modernizing equipment, improving water supply infrastructure and providing specialized training are essential steps for a city that continues to grow vertically and commercially. Emergency vehicles should be given priority and urban designs should ensure access during crises.
Public awareness is equally critical. Building owners, merchants, and workers should receive education in fire prevention and emergency response. Periodic drills should become routines and not symbolic gestures. A safety culture cannot be imposed solely from the top; must be reinforced through shared responsibility.
Most importantly, accountability must go beyond rhetoric. Investigations into the Gul Plaza fire must be transparent, their findings made public, and responsibilities clearly assigned. Whether the negligence lies with private owners, regulators or public officials, it must be addressed openly. Without consequences there will be no deterrence, and without deterrence this cycle will continue.
The Gul Plaza fire should concern the collective conscience of Karachi. It serves as a reminder that disasters are often man-made, born of indifference, ignored warnings and compromised norms. Those who lost their lives deserved protection. Those who remain deserve the assurance that their city will eventually learn from this loss.
If Karachi continues to treat each tragedy as an isolated event rather than a symptom of systemic failure, the next fire is only a matter of time. The knowledge already exists to prevent such disasters. What remains in doubt is whether the resolution is.
The writer is a journalist living in Karachi. He tweets/posts @omar_quraishi and can be contacted at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of PakGazette.tv.
Originally published in The News
