Farooq Sattar Demands Release of Gul Plaza Inquiry Report, Warns of Supreme Court Petition

Karachi: Senior MQM leader Farooq Sattar has called for the immediate release of the judicial inquiry report into the Gul Plaza tragedy, warning that he will approach the Supreme Court if the report is not made public by July 16.

Speaking to the media in Karachi, Sattar said he had been appearing before the Sindh Information Commission for the past two months in an effort to have the judicial commission’s report released.

He questioned why the report had been withheld, asking, “Who are the people whose names are being concealed in the report?”

Sattar alleged that instead of the Sindh Home Secretary, “non-serious” representatives had appeared before the Sindh Information Commission. He added that the Sindh Law Department had also expressed its inability to provide the report, while maintaining that the Home Department is legally bound to submit its inquiry report to the commission.

Referring to the original criminal case, Sattar claimed that the 2008 FIR placed the entire responsibility on union president Tanveer Pashta, while the judicial inquiry report has still not been presented despite the submission of charge sheets on three occasions.

He further alleged that the Sindh government had created difficulties for itself by establishing a judicial inquiry commission and was now reluctant to release its findings. According to Sattar, the report appears to contain facts that have led the provincial government to remain silent.

The MQM leader said the Sindh Information Commission is legally required to decide the matter within 45 days, and argued that the Sindh government is also obligated to publish the report under the province’s Human Rights Policy 2023.

Sattar also alleged that the Sindh government had prevented the investigating officer from pursuing the case further. He warned that if the report is not made public by July 16, he will file a petition before the Supreme Court of Pakistan seeking its release.