Gul Plaza Tragedy: KMC, Board of Revenue submit detailed responses to commission

KARACHI (Dunya News) - The Municipal Commissioner of KMC and the Board of Revenue Sindh on Wednesday have submitted detailed replies in the judicial commission established to investigate the Gul Plaza tragedy.

The commission has issued a notice to the Senior Member of the Board of Revenue for further clarification. In his written response, the Municipal Commissioner of KMC stated that no approval was ever granted for any change in the use or purpose of the Gul Plaza land.

The Director Land has confirmed that no record of such approval exists in official documents. The Senior Member of the Board of Revenue Sindh, in his report, also declared the Gul Plaza land to be the property of the provincial government. The land originally belonged to the Karachi Municipality and was later leased in 1936 to the East India Tramway Company Limited for 99 years.

The report further stated that there is no clear record available to confirm or deny KMC’s ownership claim. There is also no audit or review on record regarding compliance with the original terms of land use.

After reviewing the response of the Senior Member of the Board of Revenue, the judicial commission issued a notice seeking further clarification. It asked what documentary basis exists for the claim that the land was allocated for tramway purposes, and also pointed out that the purpose of land use is not recorded in the documents.

In such a situation, the commission questioned whether it is the responsibility of the Board of Revenue to conduct a survey and determine and record the land’s use or purpose, and whether any such survey or action has been carried out.

The judicial commission has directed the Senior Member of the Board of Revenue to submit complete answers and a detailed report to the commission secretariat.