SIC rejects MQM-P bid to make Gul Plaza fire probe report public

The Sindh Information Commission has dismissed MQM-P’s request to make the judicial commission report on the Gul Plaza fire public, saying the matter is still under investigation and disclosure at this stage could interfere with the process. According to the order issued after hearing the case on Wednesday, the commission said it was not going into the merits of the request but found the case covered by provisions of the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016 that allow certain information to remain withheld during an ongoing probe. The matter was heard by information commissioners Muhammad Saleem Khan and Noor Muhammad Dayo, along with counsel for MQM-P, M Tariq Mansoor, Dawn reported. The commission said the investigation into the incident had not concluded and that releasing the requested material now could affect the inquiry, expose a confidential source, hamper the investigation, or prejudice the prevention, detection or prosecution of any offence. It added that once the investigation is completed, the investigating officer would file the challan and relevant information and documents would become part of the record before the judicial magistrate. The ruling is a reminder that right-to-information requests can run into limits when authorities say disclosure may affect an active criminal or fact-finding process. In practice, that often leaves petitioners waiting for the probe to finish before documents can be accessed through the court record or other lawful channels. For MQM-P, the decision means the party has not secured immediate public release of the report it sought. For residents and families affected by the fire, it also means there is still no public disclosure of the commission’s findings through this route. What remains unclear from the commission’s order is how far the underlying investigation has progressed, whether any timeline has been given for its completion, and whether the report itself will later be released in full or only become accessible as part of the judicial record. The order suggests that transparency may come later, but not while investigators say the case is still active. Gul Plaza, a busy commercial site in Karachi, has remained a sensitive subject because fire incidents in such densely used buildings often raise questions about safety enforcement, emergency response and accountability. This latest ruling does not answer those wider questions, but it does postpone public access to the inquiry material until the legal process advances further. The commission’s decision effectively places the request on hold, with disclosure dependent on the conclusion of the investigation and the filing of the challan. Until then, the report sought by MQM-P will stay out of public view.

Source: Dawn Pakistan - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017612/mqm-p-plea-to-make-gul-plaza-fire-probe-report-public-dismissed