In the aftermath of the devastating Gul Plaza shopping mall fire in Karachi, the Sindh government has removed Municipal Commissioner Syed Muhammad Afzal Zaidi from his post amid criticism over the handling of emergency response operations at the blaze site. A notification issued by the Chief Secretary Sindh, Asif Haider Shah, directed Zaidi to report to the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department, and assigned Samira Hussain, a Grade-19 PCS officer, the additional charge of municipal commissioner for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
Zaidi’s removal comes as the search and recovery effort continues at the gutted multi-storey complex on M.A. Jinnah Road, where the death toll has risen and dozens remain missing amid hazardous conditions. A technical committee has also recommended that the fire-damaged structure be demolished once search operations conclude. Critics of the city administration argued that response and coordination at the site were inadequate, intensifying scrutiny on municipal leadership and emergency preparedness.