Humaira Motala
KARACHI: The Pakistan Justice Association (PJA) strongly condemn and express deep sorrow over the tragic fire incident at Gul Plaza, which resulted in the loss of precious human lives and severe financial damage. Karachi, being the economic backbone of Pakistan, witnessed a grave failure of governance as the fire remained uncontrolled for 3 to 4 days. This reflects serious administrative negligence, mismanagement, and institutional failure. The delayed recovery of bodies further intensified public grief.
In a press conference held at Karachi Press Club, The Pakistan Justice Association (PJA) , Founding Chairman, Sardar Muhammad Iqbal Khan along with Dr. Naseeruddin Shaheen, PJA Media coordinator demanded that the Sindh Government should immediately conduct a comprehensive review of the Fire Department’s performance, upgrade emergency services, take strict action against those responsible, and establish a Judicial Commission to investigate this tragedy in a transparent manner where Sindh Government officials should not be part of the investigation.
Showing the solidarity with the affectees, Sardar Iqbal Khan said “We stand with the affected families, pray for the departed souls, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. We also appeal to all political and social stakeholders to refrain from political exploitation of this tragedy and instead work collectively for the rehabilitation of the victims.”
Explaining the agenda of PJA, Chairman Sardar Iqbal said that the Pakistan Justice Association (PJA) was established with the primary objective of resolving the issues of Karachi and ensuring justice for its people. Since its formation, PJA has actively engaged with social organizations, political parties, and representatives of various schools of thought to develop a joint and non-partisan strategy for addressing Karachi’s longstanding problems. “A detailed briefing on this collective plan will be shared with you shortly”, he emphasised.
Highlighting the vital role of the port city, he further added that Karachi was Pakistan’s largest commercial, industrial, and economic hub, contributing the highest tax revenue and supporting nearly 75 percent of national expenditures. Despite the fact, the city continued to suffer from chronic issues such as water shortages, electricity and gas load-shedding, deteriorating infrastructure, rampant crime, and poor governance.
Water scarcity has worsened due to frequent pipeline bursts, raising serious questions about infrastructure quality and alleged collusion with the tanker mafia. PJA Chairman Sardar Muhammad Iqbal Khan, along with his entire team of PJA, has welcomed Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab’s announcement to shut down hydrants supplying water to tankers and to restore water supply through pipelines. He stated that “This is a positive step toward eliminating the tanker mafia. We urge the Mayor to ensure permanent implementation of this policy, extend water pipelines to underserved areas, and provide equitable access to water for all citizens”.
The media coordinator of PJA Dr Naseeruddin Shaheen further elaborating the mission of PJA said that the Federal government itself acknowledges that the country’s expenditures and development projects depend heavily on the revenue collected from Karachi. Given this reality, the question remained as to why this city has been turned into a hub of problems. The state was fully aware that Karachi has long suffered from a lack of basic facilities such as water, electricity, and gas. Beyond these issues, crimes such as theft, robbery, kidnapping, and terrorism have severely affected the lives of citizens of the metropolitan.
Considering all these challenges, a joint, non-partisan platform in the form of the Pakistan Justice Association (PJA) has been established as a neutral and collective platform for all those who genuinely care about Karachi. Since commencing its work last year, PJA has received an encouraging response. Through this press conference, we appeal to the people of Karachi to unite with PJA in a collective struggle for their rights and for the immediate provision of basic necessities of life. The purpose of today’s press conference is to appeal, through you, to the people of Karachi-who are burdened with countless problems-to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Justice Association in a collective struggle to secure their rights and ensure that the Karachites have been given a chance to live a life with dignity and prosperity.
PJA also highlighted in its press conference the other challenges and problems of Karachiites like that power cuts, dilapidated road infrastructure, gas load shedding, rising crime etc. They said that Electricity load-shedding, rising tariffs, and overbilling have further burdened the public. Although the government acknowledged that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are a major cause of expensive electricity and promised tariff reductions after renegotiations, no tangible relief has yet been provided. Similarly, gas load-shedding continues despite official claims of adequate supply.
The city’s broken roads, unchecked movement of heavy traffic during daytime and frequent accidents-especially involving dumpers and tankers-have claimed numerous lives, including children. Land-grabbing mafias continue to operate freely, particularly in areas like Gulshan-e-Hijri, where court cases have remained unresolved for years, depriving allottees of their rightful property.
Karachi is also facing an alarming rise in crime. Street crime, robberies, killings during snatching incidents, kidnappings for ransom, and public insecurity have reached intolerable levels. Despite a visible police presence, public confidence in law enforcement has eroded due to lack of accountability and delayed justice.
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