Serious negligence by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has come to light in the wake of the Gul Plaza tragedy, with investigations revealing illegal approvals, missing ownership records, and violations of building regulations.

According to official documents, the original approved plan of Gul Plaza, a market established in 1980, could not be traced.

In the absence of the original approval, a revised plan was allegedly issued unlawfully, without fulfilling mandatory legal requirements.

Records show that even the revised plan was not formally approved, yet a completion certificate was illegally issued in 2005.

The building stands on a plot measuring 8,128 square yards, identified as Plot No. 32 in Preedy Quarters, Karachi, with ownership listed under Gul Muhammad Khanani.

Sources said neither the original owner nor his heirs are traceable, and no revised or completion plan was ever submitted to the SBCA by the registered owner.

Investigators found that permission for the revised plan was submitted by a builder identified as Rafiq Japanwala, while documents related to the revised plan were filed by individuals named Qamaruddin and Abdul Haseeb.

Under the law, approvals require no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the relevant land authority and other departments. However, no such NOCs exist for Gul Plaza.

It also emerged that the revised plan was submitted after the plot’s lease in District South had expired. Officials noted that no approval can legally be granted without a valid plot lease.

Former SBCA officers are accused of ignoring illegal constructions, including additional shops built on access passages.

Investigators further revealed that parking space was unlawfully shifted from the basement to the rooftop, a rare and irregular arrangement described by sources as the only such project in Karachi.

The findings have raised serious questions about regulatory oversight and accountability within the SBCA.