Pakistani celebrities have taken to social media to express grief and anger following the deadly fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi on Saturday, which has claimed at least 14 lives, including a firefighter, with dozens still missing.
Actress Aiman Khan shared her heartbreak on Instagram Stories, writing, “I am heartbroken by the Gul Plaza incident. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.”
Her sister, actress Minal Khan, penned a lengthy note reflecting on Karachi’s systemic failures.
“Karachi is a strange orphan – loved in words, abandoned in action. It has too many guardians and none that truly care,” she wrote. “A mayor, ministers, boards, administrators – everyone in charge, yet no one responsible. This is the provincial capital, the economic spine of the country, and still it is treated like a burden neither the province nor the center wants to claim. When tragedy strikes, fingers are pointed, statements are issued, and then silence returns.”
She described the personal connection many Karachiites have with Gul Plaza. “Gul Plaza was never just a building. It lives inside every Karachite’s home. The toys we played with as children, the plates we still eat from, the everyday things that quietly shaped our lives – so many of them came from there. Watching it burn feels like watching a piece of our own childhood, our own memories, turn to ash.”
Minal concluded with a stark warning: “This wasn’t just a fire. It was a reminder – painful and unforgiving – of what happens when a society becomes numb, when safety becomes optional, when human life becomes a statistic. We mourn the dead, but we must also mourn ourselves, because somewhere along the way, we all failed them.”
Actress Rabia Kulsoom and her husband wrote, “Deeply saddened by the fire incident at Gul Plaza Karachi. Prayers for all the victims and their families. May Allah give them and all the shop owners the strength to overcome this loss.”
Sajal Aly expressed her sorrow, saying, “Heartbroken to see what happened at Gul Plaza. My prayers are with the families who lost their loved ones no words are enough for such loss.” Her sister Saboor Aly simply wrote, “Allah Reham.”
Model and host Nadia Hussain shared haunting images and video clips from the site, showing ashes and debris scattered across the burned building.
“This unbelievable, horrific tragedy has left all Karachiites in utter despair, grief, and complete shock,” she wrote. “A fire could not be put out in time that caused the deaths of so many people and losses worth crores and crores. Where were the proper firefighting trucks? Why was the fire burning for more than 24 hours?”
Cricketer Haris Rauf highlighted the broader systemic issues exposed by the tragedy. “The tragedy exposed our collective failure to protect lives. Inadequate fire safety, delayed rescue, and a system that failed its people! The cost? Precious lives, lost. Families torn apart. Dreams unfulfilled. The helplessness is suffocating. How many more lives will it take for us to act? For us to care? The grief is overwhelming, the anger is justified,” he wrote.
The blaze broke out at one of Karachi’s oldest shopping malls on MA Jinnah Road on Saturday night, January 17, 2026, and continued burning for more than 24 hours.
