Sindh to rebuild Gul Plaza and compensate affected shopkeepers, says Murad

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Friday that the provincial government would honour its commitment to reconstruct Gul Plaza, the multi-storey shopping centre destroyed in a January fire that left more than 70 people dead.

Speaking at a ceremony in Karachi for the distribution of compensation cheques to affected shopkeepers, the chief minister said the rebuilt plaza would have the same number of shops as before. He said all losses would be compensated and added that no one would be allowed to gain through unfair means.

Murad Ali Shah said the cheque distribution marked the first phase of compensation for the traders affected by the blaze. He also thanked the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation for arranging temporary business spaces for the shopkeepers, particularly during Ramazan, at the Karachi Expo Centre and Bagh-i-Jinnah.

He stated that Rs500,000 had been given to each affected shopkeeper immediately after the incident to help them recover. The chief minister further said that Rs7 billion had been allocated for the affected community and thanked cabinet members for approving the amount without delay.

According to Murad Ali Shah, the funds were available for release, but assessing the value of losses remained the main difficulty. He said the process of valuation was the real challenge in moving compensation forward.

Reconstruction and legal process

Referring to the planned demolition of the damaged structure before reconstruction begins, the chief minister said a first information report had been registered after the fire and that a court order would be sought to start demolition work.

He also said the incident had drawn significant criticism of the authorities, after which the Sindh government set up a judicial commission to investigate the fire. Murad Ali Shah said the commission had submitted a detailed report, and the provincial government had subsequently formed a cabinet sub-committee to propose how its recommendations should be implemented.

He said the sub-committee would present its findings at the next cabinet meeting. Murad Ali Shah added that he had not read the report in full but had reviewed it, and said action would be taken regardless of who was found responsible.

“The Sindh government will rebuild Gul Plaza as promised, and will make the same number of shops as before. All the losses will be recompensed and no one will benefit through unfair means.”, he stated.

“Rs500,000 was also distributed to each affected shopkeeper immediately after the incident so they could stand on their feet,” he added.

President Zardari’s involvement

The chief minister said President Asif Ali Zardari had been deeply upset by the tragedy. He added that the president had contacted a Chinese entity, which visited Pakistan twice after the incident.

Murad Ali Shah said the Sindh government had not sought financial or material assistance from the Chinese side, but had instead asked for a plan on how to manage the situation, adding that work on that plan was under way.

In January, Murad Ali Shah had told the Sindh Assembly that the provincial government would demolish and rebuild Gul Plaza within two years while ensuring that the number of shops was not increased.