Karachi shopping mall fire: 11-year-old boy named accused in indictment over fire that killed 72 people

An 11-year-old boy has been named as a defendant in the indictment filed by Pakistani police over the deadly fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall that killed 72 people in January.

The minor, along with his father and four members of the shopping complex’s management committee, will face trial in connection with one of the worst commercial building fires in Pakistan.The fire broke out at Gul Plaza Shopping Complex on Ma Jinnah Road in Karachi, on January 17. The fire killed 72 people, injured eight others, and destroyed 1,153 stores. It took firefighters and rescue teams nearly a week to completely extinguish the fire.According to the indictment submitted to the court on Saturday, the 11-year-old boy, named Huzaifa, was managing his father’s artificial flower shop in his absence when the fire broke out while he was playing with matches.District Prosecutor Abdul Razzaq Gujjar said the boy would be tried along with the other accused mentioned in the indictment.Other defendants include Huzaifa’s father, Nimatullah, and Gul Plaza management committee members Tanveer Basta, Ammar Ismail, Mohamed Ramadan and Mohamed Amin.

All six accused have reportedly absconded since the fire incident.The investigating officer included 42 prosecution witnesses in the case.According to the indictment, one of the main witnesses, a 13-year-old boy named Arian, told the investigating judge that he was present in the store when Huzaifa was playing with matches and the fire suddenly broke out.This statement was reportedly confirmed by two other eyewitnesses, Muhammad Talha and Hamza Amir, who claimed that Huzaifa’s father regularly allowed his minor son to stay alone in the store and manage its operations.Investigators also cited call data records showing Nematullah was not in the store when the fire broke out.The indictment also accused members of the Juul Plaza management committee of negligence, alleging that they failed to enforce safety regulations or prevent underage operation of the store.According to the investigation, the building lacked adequate fire safety measures. Exit points were closed or blocked, there were not enough fire extinguishers, a fire hydrant system had not been installed, and the building lacked emergency backup lighting, the report said.Investigators said these defects exacerbated the disaster after the building lost power, leaving the complex in the dark as the fire spread quickly.The indictment also alleged that the committee members failed to immediately alert the fire brigade and rescue services. Call data records reportedly showed that no immediate emergency calls were made during the critical early stages of the fire.The authorities said that the juvenile proceedings against Huzaifa would be conducted before the juvenile court in accordance with Pakistani legal provisions for minors.The remaining accused were charged under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including negligent conduct with respect to setting fire or combustible materials, manslaughter, causing hurt by rash or negligent acts, mischief by fire with intent to destroy property and common intent.The chargesheet was filed despite earlier objections from prosecutors, who ordered the investigating officer to include the findings of the judicial commission and the joint investigation team formed by the Sindh government. According to local media reports, these findings have not yet been included in the case record and are expected to be presented separately.(With inputs from PTI)