Karachi court to announce decision on Gul Plaza charge sheet on September 18
A court in Karachi, Pakistan, is due to announce on September 18 a decision on whether to accept or reject the charge sheet in the Gul Plaza shopping center fire case. The court may also name other suspects in the case, Dawn reports.
Defense objections
Lawyer Sheikh Javaid Mir told the court that the newly appointed investigator had not conducted the investigation as ordered by the court. He also objected to state agencies being cleared of negligence allegations in the charge sheet, while the building management was named as responsible for alleged criminal negligence.
According to the lawyer, he had previously petitioned the court to establish a joint investigation team and proposed including senior police officials in it.
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Those named in the charge sheet
The state prosecutor argued that Tanvir Pusta, the president of the building management, showed criminal negligence because he did not contact the fire or rescue service. Instead, Pusta called the electricity supply company to disconnect power, he said.
The investigator named four members of the Gul Plaza management committee in the case materials — Tanvir Pusta, Amar Ismail, Muhammad Ramazan and Muhammad Amin — as well as artificial flower shop owner Naimatullah and his son Huzaifa, who is over 11 years old. At the same time, the investigator found no negligence on the part of the Sindh Building Control Authority, the fire service, Rescue 1122, civil defense and the district administration.
The charge sheet lists 87 prosecution witnesses. The investigator said the investigation materials indicate criminal negligence and carelessness by the named individuals, and also included Article 285 of the Pakistan Penal Code on negligent conduct involving fire or combustible materials in the case. In July, the court rejected an earlier charge sheet involving the same individuals and ordered a thorough investigation with the participation of a deputy superintendent of police.
