Karachi — Chairman Awam Pakistan Party and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has termed the Gul Plaza fire incident a major tragedy, urging the government to play a serious and responsible role in addressing the matter. Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, he said he had personally visited Gul Plaza, where precious human lives were lost.
Abbasi stressed the need for swift identification of the deceased, active engagement with affected families, and practical steps to support their rehabilitation. He acknowledged the efforts of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce in working on the issue, calling it a positive development, but questioned why such tragic incidents continue to occur repeatedly.
Highlighting systemic issues, he said Karachi has thousands of high-rise buildings, most facing similar safety problems. He emphasized that the provincial government must fulfill its responsibilities, while the federal government should also contribute to healing the wounds of the affected people.
Referring to debates about placing Karachi under federal control, Abbasi said running cities is not the federal government’s job. Despite receiving resources, he noted, Karachi continues to suffer from unresolved problems — a reality reflected in the city’s deteriorating roads and water system. He recalled that water once reached homes directly, whereas today tanker supply has become the norm, which is unheard of in major cities worldwide.
Abbasi further pointed out the involvement of various mafias in the water crisis, criticizing both provincial and federal governments for failing to act effectively. He warned against using constitutional amendments as a shortcut solution, stating that such changes should be made transparently and with public consultation, not quietly.
He concluded by saying that without including all stakeholders and public opinion, constitutional amendments worsen problems rather than solving them. On Gul Plaza as well, he urged authorities to listen to the voices of the public and the victims. Criticizing a proposed amendment, he questioned the logic of keeping elected representatives’ asset declarations out of public access, saying that hiding information in the name of security undermines transparency. “If there is so much fear of the public, then one should leave politics,” he remarked, adding that accountability and transparency are the true foundations of democracy.
