Farooq Sattar Says Fire Is in Karachi’s Heart, Calls Gul Plaza Blaze a National Tragedy
Karachi: MQM-Pakistan leader Farooq Sattar said that the fire is not just in Gul Plaza, but in the hearts of every Karachi resident, calling the incident a national tragedy.
Speaking in the National Assembly during the debate on the Gul Plaza fire, Sattar urged that the incident be officially recognized as a national calamity. He emphasized that MQM and the federal government are committed to addressing Karachi residents’ problems.
Sattar highlighted that while plans are underway to supply 26 crore gallons of water to Karachi, local authorities responded late to the fire. “The Chief Minister reached Gul Plaza 22 hours after the fire broke out, and even Jamaat-e-Islami representatives arrived 20 hours later,” he said. He praised the bravery of firefighter Farooq Khan, who lost his life while trying to extinguish the blaze.
He criticized Karachi’s fire services, noting that the city of four crore people has only 100 fire brigades, half of which are non-functional, with just 25 fire stations across the city. Many commercial centers lack basic firefighting and emergency equipment, he added. Sattar suggested importing anti-fire balloons from China to improve safety measures.
“Gul Plaza is just the starting point—the fire burns in the heart of every citizen of Karachi,” he said, urging cooperation between the provincial government and civic authorities. Sattar called for turning Karachi into a model city akin to New York or London and stressed that public rights should not be politicized.
