KARACHI: Following the deadly Gul Plaza inferno, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan has demanded that Karachi be declared a federal territory under Articles 148 and 149 of the Constitution, saying it is necessary “for the sake of Pakistan.” Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Bahadurabad, MQM-P leader and federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said the Sindh government has failed, and Karachi cannot be left at its mercy. His statement comes as the death toll from last week’s Gul Plaza fire jumped to 60, with 88 reportedly missing. Relatives of those still missing have criticised the slow operation at the three-storey Gul Plaza, where rescuers are scouring the wreckage for human remains. Fires are common in Karachi’s markets and factories, which are known for their poor infrastructure, but a blaze on such a scale is rare. A government committee has launched an investigation, but the cause of the inferno was not immediately clear. Commenting on the Gul Plaza tragedy, Kamal said, “How many more accidents must we endure? How many more bodies must be recovered? How many more children will fall into open drains and die?” This democratic terrorism in Sindh should end immediately,” he added. Kamal slammed the PPP-led government over its handling of the fire. “This city was not always like this,” he added. “You [PPP] have ruled over the people while waiting for such disasters to occur.When asked for answers, you shift blame, claiming MQM burned Baldia factory,” he added. Kamal said that during the period of lawlessness in Karachi, for which MQM is still criticised, PPP ministers would travel to London (to meet Altaf Hussain). “The powers conferred under the 18th Amendment are being used for genocide instead of welfare. This 18th Amendment has become a cancer for the country, and this should be abolished immediately,” demanded Kamal.