KARACHI (Dunya News) - The accused named in the Gul Plaza tragedy case have challenged the police investigation in the Sessions Court, Dunya News reported on Monday.
The applicants in their petition argued that the court should take notice of the conduct of the investigating officer, Pervez Bhutto, alleging that he is shielding the real culprits while implicating innocent individuals in the case.
The petition further requested that action be taken against the Deputy Commissioner South, the Chief Fire Officer, Rescue 1122, and other relevant civil authorities for negligence and dereliction of duty. It also called for an impartial and transparent investigation to be conducted by sensitive agencies under the supervision of DIG Irfan Baloch or Aamir Farooqi.
Meanwhile, the court heard the bail applications of Gul Plaza Association President Tanveer Pasta, Vice President Ammar Ismail, Joint Secretary Muhammad Ramzan, Muhammad Amin, Naimatullah, and 11-year-old Huzaifa.
Counsel for the accused argued that although 72 people lost their lives in the Gul Plaza tragedy, the police had submitted only a half-page chalan. The lawyer contended that the police had not held any civil institution accountable and were instead prosecuting the victims while protecting the administration.
The court observed that the police chalan had already been rejected twice and that it had been resubmitted without addressing the same objections.
The court granted interim bail to five accused, including Tanveer Pasta, against surety bonds of Rs 500,000 each, while 11-year-old Huzaifa was granted interim bail against a surety bond of Rs 10,000.