Sindh CM Chairs Meeting on Gul Plaza Fire, Announces Compensation and Rehabilitation Plan
Death toll could rise over 50, Officials briefed meeting that 14 bodies had so far been recovered.
By Nazir Siyal
KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the tragic fire incident at Gul Plaza, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives and directing immediate steps for compensation and rehabilitation of the affected traders.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Saeed Ghani; Adviser for Rehabilitation Gianchand Esrani; Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab; Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah; DC South Javed Khoso; Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi; and representatives of the traders’ community including Javed Balwani, Idrees Memon, Muhammad Raza, Junaid Makda, Tariq Yousuf and Tanveer Pasta.
The chief minister said the fire at Gul Plaza had caused immense grief, noting that the loss of lives meant several families had been severely affected. He added that hundreds of people running businesses in the plaza had become unemployed overnight and stressed that the government was committed to their full rehabilitation.
Officials briefed the meeting that 14 bodies had so far been recovered from the site, while the death toll could rise to over 50. The fire had been extinguished and cooling operations were underway. CM Murad Ali Shah directed that debris removal work be started immediately.
Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab informed the meeting that 16 fire tenders and bowsers, along with 50 to 60 firefighters, took part in the operation, while the Water Board supplied 431,000 gallons of water. Adviser Gianchand Esrani said the fire broke out at around 10:36 pm, adding that Gul Plaza was spread over 8,000 square yards and housed about 1,200 shops. Rescue 1122 reached the site within six minutes, while a total of 24 fire and rescue vehicles from KMC and the Navy participated in the operation.
Traders presented various proposals for their rehabilitation, unanimously demanding immediate restoration so that livelihoods could resume. The chief minister announced that Gul Plaza would be rebuilt and assured that a committee would propose ways to provide temporary shops to affected traders.
CM Murad Ali Shah also announced that the Sindh government would conduct a forensic investigation to determine the cause of the fire and directed the chief secretary to notify a fact-finding committee. He expressed his desire to provide immediate compensation to the families of those who lost their lives, including a firefighter who was martyred in the incident.
A special committee has been formed to recommend compensation amounts and rehabilitation measures. The committee includes Minister for Local Government Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Labour and Human Resources Saeed Ghani, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab and Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi.
The chief minister said President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were in constant contact and had stressed the need for immediate rehabilitation of traders. He also directed ministers to visit the homes of the deceased to offer condolences and called for a comprehensive long-term plan to improve fire safety, including ensuring emergency exits and fire alarm systems in commercial buildings.
