SBCA Invites Bids to Demolish Fire-Hit Gul Plaza
The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has invited Gul Plaza demolition bids for the fire-hit building on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi. The authority has set a minimum bid of Rs40 million for the work.
Interested companies can submit their bids by November 20. The successful contractor will also receive the debris and scrap recovered during the demolition.
The SBCA director of Demolition said technical and financial proposals had been invited separately. Preference will go to companies with experience of demolishing at least 20 buildings. The selected contractor must complete the demolition within three months, and the whole operation will run under SBCA supervision.
Officials said the deputy commissioner of District South would decide how any goods belonging to shopkeepers recovered from the debris would be distributed. That detail matters to traders who lost stock in the fire and have waited months for the site to be cleared.
Why the building must come down
Gul Plaza was struck by a devastating fire on the night of January 17, 2026. The fire claimed 72 lives and destroyed more than 1,153 shops, according to the Tribune report.
A technical committee formed after the incident recommended demolishing the building in a report submitted in January. The Sindh government has also announced plans to construct a new building at the site once the damaged structure is removed.
The move to tender the work follows a long wait. In September, the Tribune reported that demolition had still not begun, more than eight months after the fire, even though the building had been declared dangerous and unfit for use. The new bidding process is therefore the first concrete step toward clearing the site since that report.
What the Gul Plaza demolition bids require
The tender sets a clear timetable and a clear standard. Bidders must show demolition experience, submit separate technical and financial proposals, and finish the work within three months of selection.
Supervision by the SBCA is a central condition. The authority will oversee the operation, which matters because the site sits on one of Karachi’s busiest commercial roads and the demolition of a large fire-damaged structure carries obvious risks for nearby buildings and passers-by.
The minimum bid of Rs40 million, combined with the contractor’s right to the recovered debris and scrap, sets the commercial terms. Companies weighing a bid will balance the value of that scrap against the cost and risk of a three-month demolition in a crowded area.
What happens next for traders
For shopkeepers, the demolition is only the first stage. The Sindh government’s plan for a new building at the site will decide when, and on what terms, traders can return.
Until the demolition is complete, the question of recovered goods remains open. The deputy commissioner of District South will decide their distribution, and traders will watch that process closely after losing shops and stock in January.
The November 20 deadline now gives the process a fixed date. If bids are received and evaluated on schedule, the demolition could begin soon after, nearly a year after the fire that destroyed the complex.
Frequently asked questions
What has the SBCA invited bids for?
The SBCA has invited bids for the demolition of Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi, the commercial complex damaged in the January 17, 2026 fire.
What is the minimum bid and deadline?
The minimum bid is Rs40 million. Companies can submit their bids by November 20, 2026.
How long will the demolition take?
The selected contractor must complete the demolition within three months, under SBCA supervision.
Which companies will be preferred?
Preference will go to companies with experience of demolishing at least 20 buildings. Technical and financial proposals have been invited separately.
What happened at Gul Plaza in January 2026?
A fire on the night of January 17, 2026 claimed 72 lives and destroyed more than 1,153 shops. A technical committee later recommended demolishing the building.
