KARACHI: The Sindh Home Department has terminated the services of two Civil Defence officials over alleged misconduct in connection with the Gul Plaza fire that claimed the lives of more than 80 people in the city, it emerged on Thursday.

An order issued by Additional Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Memon stated that Fatima Memon, additional controller (BS-17), Civil Defence South, had been dismissed from service with immediate effect on charges of misconduct.

According to the order, she had failed to ensure that fire safety audits of the Gul Plaza Shopping Centre were conducted in successive years during her posting in Karachi South district. She also allegedly failed to ensure that the identified deficiencies were rectified in accordance with the Civil Defence Rules, 1951.

The order further said that, in collusion with another official, Mirza Mursaleen Baig, senior instructor, Karachi South, Ms Memon had “forged and manipulated backdated fire safety audit reports” for the centre for 2024 and 2025 after the fire broke out at the building on January 17, 2026.

Both orders stated that the action was taken on the recommendations of the relevant Implementation Committee, which had examined the circumstances surrounding the Gul Plaza fire and found that the two officials had issued “dubious and manipulated inspection memos” for 2024 and 2025.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2026