Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah today ordered the demolition of the fire-ravaged Gul Plaza to pave the way for a new market, while also directing authorities to accelerate the disbursement of financial aid to victims’ families and traders facing verification hurdles.
The directive was issued during a high-level meeting at CM House on Monday, where the chief minister instructed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to prepare a comprehensive plan for rebuilding the commercial centre. Mr Shah also told the Karachi Commissioner to commence razing the structure after notifying the Judicial Commission, aiming to start reconstruction work at the earliest.
The session was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, and Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, alongside Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab and other senior officials, including the chief secretary and the city commissioner.
Officials briefed the meeting on the progress of an Rs850 million fund allocated for the bereaved families, with Rs10 million designated for each of the 72 deceased victims. To date, cheques have been delivered to the residences of 61 families.
Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi detailed the pending cases, explaining that three are awaiting finalisation of widows” national identity cards, while four require further verification in Balochistan and Azad Kashmir due to conflicting family statements. Additionally, police records show four victims’ bodies remain unclaimed.
Regarding support for affected business owners, the meeting was informed that an amount of Rs600 million has been set aside. Based on verified data from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), 843 shopkeepers have so far been paid Rs500,000 each via cheques distributed at the KCCI office.
However, complexities have arisen from cases involving single individuals or entities owning multiple shops. A discrepancy in the total number of affected outlets was also noted, with updated KCCI data indicating 1,209 shops compared to an earlier figure of 1,184.
Expressing concern over the delays, the chief minister instructed officials to expedite the verification process. ‘The government stands firmly with the affected families and traders. Every entitled person must receive compensation in a transparent and timely manner,’ Mr Shah stated.
He directed that coordination with NADRA be enhanced to fast-track pending cases and ordered that out-of-province verifications be completed on a priority basis through proper channels.
To address the issue of multiple ownership, the chief minister instructed the commissioner that financial assistance should be disbursed per shop or per individual/business entity, emphasising that there should be ‘no ambiguity in policy implementation’.
Mr Shah also ordered the KCCI and relevant authorities to reconcile the discrepancy in the shop count and submit a final, verified list promptly.
The chief minister reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to completing all relief measures with full transparency and accountability to ensure justice for all those impacted by the tragic incident.