Gul Plaza Fire Trial: Child Accused, Management Sought
11-Year-Old Boy to Face Trial After Deadly Gul Plaza Fire Kills 72
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Key Points
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The charge sheet names six suspects, including Huzaifa, his father Naimatullah, and Gul Plaza Management Committee members Tanveer Pasta, Amar Ismail, Muhammad Ramazan, and Muhammad Ameen, all listed as absconders with 42 prosecution witnesses.
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Prosecutors say Huzaifa was managing an artificial flower shop in his father’s absence, with two eyewitnesses noting the father routinely left the shop in the underage son’s care and call records indicating the father was absent during the incident.
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Eyewitness accounts include 13-year-old Aryan, who testified he was at Huzaifa’s shop when the fire started, with two other witnesses (Mohammad Talha and Hamza Amir) saying Huzaifa’s father handed the shop to his underage son.
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The charge sheet highlights serious safety lapses at Gul Plaza, including blocked or locked exits, insufficient firefighting equipment, no fire hydrant system, and no emergency backup lighting; investigators also allege the management did not contact the fire brigade.
An 11-year-old boy named Huzaifa is set to stand trial in a juvenile court for allegedly starting a fire that killed 72 people at Karachi's Gul Plaza shopping complex on January 17, according to HUM News and Daily Sun. The blaze tore through the mall, destroying about 1,153 shops and making it one of the deadliest market fires in Pakistan's recent history.
Police have filed a charge sheet naming six suspects in total, according to ETV Bharat. Along with Huzaifa, his father Naimatullah and four Gul Plaza Management Committee members are listed as co-accused. All six are currently listed as absconders — meaning none have been taken into custody.
How an 11-Year-Old Ended Up Running a Shop
Prosecutors say Huzaifa's father, Naimatullah, routinely left his artificial flower shop in the hands of his underage son, according to HUM News. On the day of the fire, call records show Naimatullah was not present at the shop. Two eyewitnesses — Mohammad Talha and Hamza Amir — confirmed that the father regularly handed the shop over to Huzaifa.
A 13-year-old named Aryan told investigators he was at Huzaifa's shop when the fire broke out, according to Daily Sun. Eyewitness accounts say Huzaifa was playing with matchsticks inside the shop when the blaze started. The charge sheet lists 42 prosecution witnesses who are expected to testify in the case.
Management Committee Members Named as Absconders
Four Gul Plaza Management Committee members are named in the charge sheet: Tanveer Pasta, Amar Ismail, Muhammad Ramazan, and Muhammad Ameen, according to HUM News. Like Huzaifa's father, all four are listed as absconders. Authorities say the committee members have not been arrested or produced before the court.
Prosecutors told the court that a judicial commission report on the fire may be filed at a later stage, according to Daily Sun. This means the current charge sheet can move forward without waiting for that report. The case will now proceed in juvenile court, given Huzaifa's age.
Blocked Exits and No Fire Hydrants: Safety Failures Exposed
Investigators found serious safety failures at Gul Plaza, according to ETV Bharat. The charge sheet cites blocked or locked emergency exits, not enough firefighting equipment, no fire hydrant system, and no backup emergency lighting. These failures likely made it much harder for people to escape once the fire spread.
The charge sheet also alleges that management did not contact the fire brigade, according to Worldnews. Investigators say this delay allowed the fire to spread faster and wider. The blaze ultimately destroyed 1,153 shops and killed 72 people — a scale of destruction that prosecutors say could have been reduced with basic safety measures in place.
A Child on Trial and a Father on the Run
The case raises difficult questions about who is truly responsible. Huzaifa was only 11 years old and managing the shop because his father left him there alone, according to ETV Bharat. Critics may argue that a child playing with matchsticks is far less culpable than the adults who put him in that situation.
All five adult suspects — including Huzaifa's father and the four management committee members — remain at large, according to HUM News. Authorities say they are actively pursuing all named individuals. The trial of an 11-year-old in connection with 72 deaths is expected to draw significant public attention in Pakistan.
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