The Sindh government has prepared an initial rehabilitation plan for victims of the Gul Plaza tragedy, focusing on temporary business relocation, assessment of losses and options for rebuilding the damaged commercial complex, officials said on Friday.

At the same time, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah announced immediate financial assistance of Rs500,000 for each affected shopkeeper and pledged the reconstruction of shops after the building is demolished.

Addressing the Sindh Assembly on Friday, the chief minister said the provincial government stood with the families of those affected by the Gul Plaza tragedy.

He acknowledged that negligence and lapses had occurred and warned that anyone found responsible, regardless of position, would not escape punishment.

Providing a timeline of the incident, CM Shah said a fire broke out on the ground floor of Gul Plaza at 10:14 a.m., while authorities received information about the blaze at 10:26 a.m. He said the Karachi commissioner reached the site by 10:30 a.m., describing the incident as a massive tragedy beyond words.

The chief minister told the assembly that 82 missing persons reports were initially registered. Of these, 61 bodies have so far been recovered, while 15 people remain missing. He added that DNA profiling of 52 individuals was currently underway.

CM Shah criticised the opposition for what he termed noise, politicisation and inappropriate conduct during and after the tragedy. He said calls to hand Karachi over to the federation and references to the 18th Amendment following the incident were unjustified, questioning how the tragedy was linked to the constitutional amendment.

He said flaws from systems predating the 18th Amendment were still surfacing and were being addressed.

The chief minister also outlined the building’s regulatory history, stating that Gul Plaza’s lease was approved in 1991 by the then mayor, when the structure consisted of a basement, ground floor and two upper floors.

He said a fresh application was submitted to the KBC in 1998, and in 2003 the then mayor approved the addition of shops.

He noted that an ordinance to regularise buildings was introduced in 2001.

According to CM Shah, the building was originally granted a 99-year lease in 1884, which expired in 1983 and was never renewed.

Announcing future action, the chief minister said Gul Plaza would have to be demolished, but the same number of shops would be rebuilt, and traders would be rehabilitated.

In addition to the immediate Rs500,000 cash assistance, he said affected traders would be eligible for loans of up to Rs10 million.

He reiterated that while the government should be criticised and mistakes highlighted, using the tragedy for political gain was akin to committing a crime.

He said resources were limited, but negligence had occurred and would be addressed. He warned that if negligence by government institutions or officials, including his own administration, was proven, strict punishment would follow.

CM Shah urged political actors not to pursue hidden or political agendas over the bodies of victims and said calls to place Karachi under federal control during a tragedy were inappropriate.

Separately, the Sindh government has launched comprehensive measures to rehabilitate affected shopkeepers.

Under the plan, traders will be provided with alternative locations temporarily to continue their businesses until reconstruction is completed, ensuring their livelihoods are not disrupted.

Government officials said the value of stock present in the shops would be formally assessed and losses documented. Multiple options for the reconstruction of Gul Plaza are also under consideration.

Sources said the provincial government has finalised three locations where affected shopkeepers will be accommodated temporarily until the rebuilding of Gul Plaza is completed.

The Sindh government has already announced compensation of Rs10 million for each person who lost their life in the Gul Plaza tragedy.

Meanwhile, officials have also stated that the death toll has reached 67, though only 17 bodies have so far been identified, while 77 people are still reported missing, reflecting continuing uncertainty as recovery and identification efforts remain underway.