President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the Tamgha-e-Shujaat (Medal of Bravery) for Shaheed Furqan Ali, the Karachi firefighter who lost his life trying to save people trapped in the Gul Plaza fire.
The award follows efforts by Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab to secure national recognition for the firefighter’s courage and service.
Who Was Furqan Ali
Furqan, 36, was posted at the Nazimabad Fire Station and had served in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Fire Department since 2018. He joined the department on the deceased quota after his father, also a firefighter, passed away while in service.
He had married about a year and a half ago and had a child.
Killed Under the Debris
Furqan was part of the team battling the blaze at Gul Plaza on Karachi’s M.A. Jinnah Road, which broke out on the night of January 17, 2026, and burned for around 36 hours before it was brought under control on the morning of January 19.
During the operation, he fell into the wreckage and was trapped under the debris, where he lost his life.
The fire was one of the deadliest in Karachi’s history. The final investigation report put the death toll at 79, and the tragedy pushed Punjab to issue new fire safety rules for commercial buildings.
Fire Station to Carry His Name
After his death, Mayor Wahab announced that the Nazimabad Fire Station would be renamed after Shaheed Furqan Ali. He also announced Rs. 10 million in financial assistance for the family and assured them that all of Furqan’s benefits and entitlements would continue to be paid.
The Tamgha-e-Shujaat now adds national recognition to his sacrifice, which officials described as an act of exceptional courage and devotion to saving human lives.
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