I am trying to find the words to describe the Gul Plaza tragedy, but honestly, it’s hard. My hands are shaking as I type. I can’t stop crying. Six days later, and the air still stinks of grief. This plaza was the beating heart of Karachi’s trade—three floors, 1,200 shops, constantly alive. Now, I’m looking at a graveyard of twisted metal and ash. It breaks you just to see it. Everything is gone. Nothing is left but questions and ghosts.

At the time of writing, 75 people have been declared dead. Many more are still missing, with no hopes left, unfortunately, for them to remain alive after 6 days. They remain buried under the twisted metal and concrete that was once their livelihood.

Gratitude needs to go where it was earned on that street. I saw the incredible grit of the Rescue 1122 teams, leading the operation from the front while everything else was falling apart. When the fire trucks ran dry, backup arrived fast: the Navy, Pakistan Army, PIA, and Civil Aviation Authority all deployed their assets to battle the inferno. And holding the chaos together were the Sindh Rangers. They secured the area, kept the onlookers safe, and protected the survivors pulling themselves out of the smoke. These men gave everything. We owe them.

But now, the rescue phase is ending, and the reckoning must begin. While we bury our........

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