Karachi (Digital Posts) Deaths are not caused by fire, but by locked doors and faulty construction

Karachi (Digital Posts) Fire incidents in shopping centers, mobile markets, and commercial plazas are no longer mere accidents; rather, they have become a clear reflection of our overall system, poor oversight, and irresponsible construction practices. Recent tragedies like Gul Plaza have once again raised a fundamental question: when a fire breaks out, why do so many people lose their lives? The bitter but true answer is that most deaths are not caused by fire or smoke, but by locked entry and exit routes, poor management, and unsafe construction methods.

What is astonishing is that at around 9:30 or 10:30 at night—timings that are not unusual for any shopping center—the doors are still found locked, and even in emergency situations, no serious effort is seen to open them in time.

This question must be raised with full force: if the person responsible for locking the doors was present, then where was the person responsible for opening them when the fire broke out? Security guards, whose basic duty is to monitor entry and exit points, are often not present at their designated places. Their du—