Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Monday criticised what he called an “unfortunate tradition” in the city of turning major tragedies into political point-scoring exercises instead of uniting people.
“Whenever a tragedy happens, instead of bringing people’s hearts together, we start negative politics, we start blaming each other,” Wahab told reporters during a late night visit to Gul Plaza on Monday.
“You have plenty of time for politics. You will find many issues on which you can do politics. But doing politics on matters of humanity is inappropriate.”
When asked about reactions to his visits to the site, Wahab said such criticism reflected the character of those passing the remarks. “We are focused on our responsibility. We will fulfill that responsibility. Let those who want to criticize be ready for it,” he said.
The mayor confirmed that authorities had identified around 20 bodies and that approximately 80 people remained missing. He offered assurances that rescue operations will continue until all missing persons are located.
Wahab also appeared on a TV program where he outlined three major decisions taken by the Sindh government.
“An inquiry committee has been formed under the leadership of the Karachi Commissioner. One crore rupees will be given to the families of each deceased person. A committee has also been formed to address the losses suffered by traders,” he said.
The mayor revealed that following a fire on Rashid Minhas Road, authorities conducted fire safety audits of more than 600 buildings and shared the report with the Sindh Chief Minister.
“Gul Plaza’s construction plan was approved in 1998, with irregularities,” Wahab said.
He confirmed that all relevant departments remained on alert as crews worked to remove vehicles and motorcycles from the plaza’s roof.
The blaze broke out at one of Karachi’s oldest shopping malls on M.A. Jinnah Road on Saturday night, and continued burning for more than 24 hours. According to reports, the death toll had risen to 26 by Monday, with one firefighter among the casualties while dozens still remain missing.