Karachi Mall Blaze Exposes Fire Safety Crisis; Khawaja Asif Urges Local Govt Reforms

• A devastating fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi killed 28 people and highlighted the city's severe shortage of fire safety infrastructure.
• Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called for strengthening local government systems, stating it's 'humanly impossible' to manage Karachi under the current setup.
• Asif emphasized that the 18th Amendment gives full administrative authority to provincial governments, leaving local bodies powerless.
• Karachi, with a population of 25 million, ideally needs 2,500 fire stations but currently has only 28, along with 45 fire tenders and 6 snorkels.
• The fire, which started on January 17, took nearly 36 hours to control, claiming 28 lives and leaving 81 people missing.

Why It Matters: Karachi's deadly Gul Plaza fire reveals critical fire safety and local governance failures, prompting calls for urgent reforms.