Karachi Court Grants Interim Bail to 11-Year-Old Boy, Four Others in Gul Plaza Fire Case

A court in Karachi on Monday granted interim pre-arrest bail to five individuals, including an 11-year-old boy, accused in the case of the deadly fire at Gul Plaza earlier this year.

The blaze, which erupted on January 17 and took nearly two days to extinguish, resulted in at least 73 deaths and the destruction of over 1,100 shops.

According to the details of the order, the 11-year-old boy was granted bail against a surety bond of Rs10,000. Four other accused, including Gul Plaza Traders Association President Tanveer Pasta and the boy’s father, Naimatullah, were granted bail against surety bonds of Rs500,000 each.

During the hearing, the defense lawyer, Shaikh Jawaid Mir, argued that the Gul Plaza management’s efforts had saved many lives and blamed the tragedy on the alleged negligence of the district administration, KMC, and other civic bodies. The lawyer also contended that the 11-year-old was only present at his father’s shop and not involved in running it.

The additional district and sessions judge, Muhammad Aslam Shaikh, has directed the investigating officer to appear at the next hearing on July 14 and ordered the accused to cooperate with the investigation.