The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Sunday established a special committee to spearhead relief efforts and demand a full compensation package from the government for traders impacted by the devastating fire at Gul Plaza, which claimed several lives and destroyed over 1,000 shops.
Announced during an emergent meeting, the Gul Plaza Fire Incident Committee was formed by Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Zubair Motiwala. The body will be jointly chaired by BMG Vice Chairman Jawed Bilwani and KCCI President Rehan Hanif, tasked with coordinating aid, assessing damages, and formally petitioning the government for the rehabilitation of affected merchants.
Leadership from the BMG and KCCI expressed profound grief over the irreparable loss of life and conveyed complete solidarity with traders whose lifelong investments were reduced to ashes.
According to preliminary estimates, the blaze completely razed more than 1,000 small and medium-sized shops at one of the city’s busiest commercial centres, inflicting severe financial hardship and wiping out the sole source of livelihood for many.
The committee’s immediate priorities include ensuring proper medical care for the injured, providing special support to the bereaved families, and identifying a temporary location to store any salvaged goods and inventories recovered from the site.
In light of the catastrophe”s magnitude, the KCCI has issued a formal appeal to both federal and provincial governments. The chamber has specifically called upon President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to collaborate on a special compensation and rehabilitation package for the shopkeepers.
The business leadership recalled a successful precedent following the 2009 Bolton Market arson incident. At that time, a request from the chamber resulted in President Asif Ali Zardari approving Rs. 3 billion and the Sindh Government releasing Rs. 500 million, which led to the full compensation of 1,958 affectees and the reconstruction of 19 fire-damaged buildings.
Drawing on its experience from past crises, including the Bolton Market fire and incidents at the Cooperative Market and Victoria Building in 2021, the KCCI has pledged its full institutional support. The chamber affirmed it would utilise its expertise to ensure a transparent assessment of losses and the timely disbursement of any relief funds.
KCCI officials stated that immediately after the fire began, they remained in constant coordination with the Sindh Government, including Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, to help facilitate prompt rescue and firefighting operations.
‘KCCI stands shoulder to shoulder with the traders affected by the Gul Plaza tragedy and will not leave them alone at any stage during this difficult time,’ the leadership affirmed.