The Sindh Police have removed DIG Traffic Karachi Pir Muhammad Shah from his post following criticism over poor traffic management during the deadly Gul Plaza fire incident, as reported by local media.
According to an official notification issued by the Sindh Police, Mazhar Nawaz Sheikh has been appointed as the new DIG Traffic Karachi, replacing Pir Muhammad Shah.
Media reports revealed that Pir Muhammad Shah was removed due to his failure to control traffic during and after the Gul Plaza fire.
When the fire broke out, traffic in and around Gul Plaza became severely congested, creating major obstacles for rescue teams and fire brigade vehicles.
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Media reports suggests that fire brigade vehicles struggled to reach the burning building because of blocked roads and unmanaged traffic.
The delay in emergency response reportedly contributed to the scale of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 79 people.
The Gul Plaza tragedy shocked Karachi and exposed serious weaknesses in emergency preparedness and traffic control systems.
Witnesses said that roads near the plaza were crowded with vehicles, while traffic police failed to create clear routes for rescue operations.
Gul Plaza Fire: Sindh Govt suspends officials after fact-finding report
Gul Plaza Fire:
The investigation report into the deadly Gul Plaza fire has exposed shocking safety failures, structural violations, and serious delays in emergency response that turned a small incident into a major tragedy.
The findings reveal that negligence by building management and weak preparedness of rescue agencies played a critical role in the disaster.
According to the inquiry report, the fire started when a matchstick ignited artificial flowers inside Shop No. 193 on the ground floor by child.
Investigators said the presence of highly flammable materials caused the fire to spread rapidly within minutes. What began as a minor spark soon turned into a massive blaze, trapping dozens of people inside the building.
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The report said initial firefighting efforts failed due to delayed water supply and inadequate equipment.
Fire brigade teams struggled to control the fire because they lacked proper tools and resources to deal with an intense blaze.
Fire tenders reportedly ran out of water during the operation and had to return to refill, which allowed the fire to grow uncontrollably.
One of the most alarming findings was the absence of basic fire safety systems in Gul Plaza. The building had no fire alarms or sprinkler systems installed.
