ISLAMABAD: A group of pro-Palestine protesters in Pakistan’s federal capital, Islamabad, decided to call off their sit-in after holding a meeting with Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday.
The activists belonging to the Save Gaza Campaign set up their camps near the high-security Red Zone to express solidarity with the people of Palestine who have been targeted by the Israeli war machine since Oct. 7, 2023.
The protesters stayed in the area for nearly 40 days, asking the Pakistani authorities to take practical steps, such as formally protesting to the envoys of the countries supporting Israel, to help the people of Gaza.
“Every Pakistani feels the same about Palestine as they do in their heart,” the interior minister said while referring to the Save Gaza Campaign activists after successful negotiations with the group. “And what they are saying, definitely, there is nothing in it that we object to. Pakistan is already playing its role [to demand a ceasefire]. But we have also promised them [the activists] that we will act on their suggestions.”
“My request to them, which they have agreed to, is that they are going to end their sit-in,” he added.
Last month, the Save Gaza Campaign activists decided to hold their ground after an accident involving a speeding vehicle killed two of them on the roadside and injured four others.
Naqvi also mentioned the incident while praying for the deceased activists and promising quick justice in the case.
Israel has killed over 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, since the beginning of the war.
While the conflict followed a surprise attack by Hamas, which said it was retaliating to the deteriorating condition of Palestinians under occupation, Israel’s response was widely viewed as disproportionate, bordering on genocide.
Pro-Palestine protest in Islamabad concludes after 40 days following government negotiations
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Pro-Palestine protest in Islamabad concludes after 40 days following government negotiations
- ‘Save Gaza Campaign’ wanted Pakistan to formally protest to envoys of the countries supporting Israel
- Two activists were killed and four others injured when a speeding car had an accident at their protest site
Karachi plaza fire death toll reaches 28 as search continues for missing
- Demolition of burned building on hold until all victims accounted for, official says
- Authorities shut adjacent mall, order fire safety compliance across Karachi city
KARACHI: Pakistani authorities on Wednesday said 28 bodies had been recovered from a shopping plaza devastated by a massive fire in Karachi last weekend, with dozens of people still unaccounted for, as officials warned the structure could not be demolished until search operations were completed.
The blaze broke out late Saturday at Gul Plaza, a multi-story commercial building in Karachi’s congested Saddar district, and burned for more than 24 hours before being brought under control. The fire gutted over 1,200 shops, triggered partial structural collapse and forced rescuers to navigate extreme heat, debris and instability inside the building.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Karachi South Javed Nabi Khoso said rescue teams were continuing phased search and debris-removal operations under strict safety protocols, adding that demolition would only be permitted once all missing persons were traced.
“Until even one missing person is accounted for, the building cannot be demolished,” Khoso said “So far, 28 bodies have been recovered, of which 11 have been identified, while 17 remain unidentified. DNA samples have been taken from families and the bodies, and the identification process is ongoing.”
Khoso said authorities had initially received reports of 85 missing persons, of whom 39 had since been located, leaving 28 people still unaccounted for as search operations continued. He said heavy machinery had been deployed to remove large installations such as chillers to reduce load on the structure and allow safer access to critical areas.
“We are focusing on the floors where bodies were found, and then moving toward controlled debris removal,” he said, adding that extreme internal temperatures and structural damage were limiting how long rescue teams could remain inside the building.
Medical officials said the condition of many victims’ remains had made immediate identification impossible.
Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said forensic teams were working to confirm identities through DNA analysis.
“As of now, we can confirm 20 deaths, including six identified and 14 unidentified,” she said earlier, noting that samples from 48 families had been collected to assist with identification, while processing of additional remains was continuing.
Officials have cautioned that figures could change as recovery operations progress.
SAFETY RISKS SPREAD TO ADJACENT BUILDINGS
The scale of the fire has raised broader safety concerns across Karachi’s commercial districts. Authorities said Rimpa Plaza, an adjacent shopping complex, had been declared unsafe after being damaged by falling debris during the blaze and was partially closed pending structural assessments.
Separately, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has issued notices to building owners and developers across the city, giving them three days to address fire safety deficiencies highlighted in recent audit reports or face legal action under provincial laws.
In a letter to the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), the SBCA said enforcement would be stepped up following the Gul Plaza disaster, citing long-standing failures in fire exits, alarms, wiring and emergency access in commercial buildings.
Deadly fires are a recurring problem in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, where overcrowding, illegal construction, narrow access points and weak enforcement of safety regulations have repeatedly resulted in mass casualties and economic losses.
In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people, while one of Pakistan’s deadliest industrial disasters occurred in 2012, when a blaze at a garment factory claimed at least 260 lives.
Provincial officials say inspections and enforcement will be intensified in the coming days, but safety advocates warn that lasting change will depend on sustained oversight beyond emergency directives.
