By Aziz Khatri
KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has strongly rejected what it describes as misleading and baseless speculation regarding the rescue of vehicles from the rooftop and surrounding areas of Gul Plaza, insisting that the entire operation was carried out exclusively by civic authorities and not by any private individuals or groups.
In a detailed clarification issued on Tuesday, the KMC said claims circulating in sections of the public domain — suggesting that private parties were responsible for rescuing vehicles — were “entirely false, factually incorrect, and designed to create confusion”. The civic body maintained that the rescue and clearance operation was planned, supervised and executed solely by the KMC in coordination with other relevant government and civic agencies.
According to the statement, the operation was launched in the aftermath of the Gul Plaza incident with the primary objective of ensuring public safety, creating secure access routes within the affected shopping complex, and removing hazardous obstructions that posed a risk to life and property. The KMC emphasised that the scale and technical complexity of the task required official expertise, heavy machinery and coordinated planning that could only be provided by municipal authorities.
The corporation said the operation was conducted under the clear and direct instructions of Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab. Acting on these directives, the Municipal Services Department of the KMC deployed cranes and other heavy equipment to carry out what it described as a sensitive and technically demanding rescue exercise. During the operation, KMC teams successfully removed cars, motorcycles and generators from the rooftop of the building as well as from its adjacent sides, mitigating the risk of further damage or injury.
“It is deeply regrettable that after the commencement of this official operation, a certain party attempted to falsely claim credit for the rescue activities,” the statement said. Such assertions, it added, were unsupported by any official record or on-ground reality and amounted to an irresponsible attempt to mislead the public and undermine the efforts of civic institutions engaged in emergency response.
The KMC also referred to a video statement issued by Mr Tanveer Pasta, Senior Director of Municipal Services and President of Gul Plaza, in which he unequivocally confirmed that the rescue operation had been conducted by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. In the video, Mr Pasta acknowledged the timely intervention and professionalism of the KMC teams and expressed gratitude to the mayor for overseeing a rapid and coordinated response during a critical situation.
Reiterating its commitment to transparency and public safety, the KMC urged citizens and stakeholders to rely on verified and official sources of information rather than unsubstantiated claims. The corporation said it would continue to serve the residents of Karachi with “dedication and integrity”, particularly in emergency situations where misinformation could hinder rescue efforts and erode public trust.
