KARACHI: The Home Department has informed the Sindh Information Commission (SIC) that the report of the judicial commission on the Gul Plaza fire probe has been handed over to the chief secretary after the decision of the provincial cabinet for implementation and record purposes.

Thereafter, the SIC directed the chief secretary to file comments or reply on the subject matter till July 20 on a complaint filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), seeking direction for the provincial government to make the report of the judicial commission public.

Citing the chief secretary, secretaries of the law department and others as respondents, the MQM-P had filed a complaint/appeal in May under the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016 and Article 19-A of the Constitution against non-issuance of the inquiry report.

When the SIC, comprising information commissioners Muhammad Saleem Khan and Noor Muhammad Dayo, took up the matter for hearing, an official of the Home Department filed a report in compliance with directives issued by the commission at earlier hearings.

It said that the commission of inquiry was constituted on Feb 4 and headed by Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court. After conclusion of the inquiry, the commission had handed over the report along with four additional volumes, comprising the entire record of the commission, to the secretary of the Home Department in April.

The report also stated that after receipt of the inquiry report, an implementation committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the Home Minister.

“Thereafter, the inquiry report was presented to the cabinet on 02.06.2026. The cabinet decided to hand over the inquiry report to the chief secretary Sindh for record purpose and implementation”, it added.

Adjourning the hearing till July 20, the SIC directed the chief secretary to file comments or reply about non-issuance of inquiry report till next hearing.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026