KARACHI: Exactly after five months of the tragic incident and before the arrival of Eidul Fitr, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday distributed compensatory cheques of more than Rs445 million among 350 traders of Saddar Cooperative Market and Victoria Shopping Centre on Abdullah Haroon Road.

Hundreds of shops had been gutted in two fires occurred within a week in November, 2021.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah distributed Rs445.197 million compensatory cheques among 358 fire-affected shopkeepers of Cooperative and Victoria markets in a ceremony held at the CM House so that they could restart their business activities, particularly at the peak season of Ramazan.

The ceremony was attended by provincial ministers, chief secretary and senior officer bearers of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), including Mohammad Idress, Zubair Motiwala, A.Q. Khalid and affected shopkeepers.

Two separate fire incidents in Saddar within a week in November 2021 badly damaged the two markets which were known for their large variety of readymade garments and cloth collection.

Murad distributes cheques among 358 shopkeepers of Cooperative and Victoria markets

The fires in Cooperative Market and Victoria Market, according to an assessment, had destroyed more than 500 businesses.

The then federal government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its legislators from Karachi took up the task of restoration of Cooperative Market and in January 2022 they handed over the keys of the renovated shops to some 500 Cooperative Market traders.

The provincial government of Sindh, on the other hand, had constituted a committee, Karachi Affected Relief Committee, under Minister Cooperatives Jam Ikram Dharejo.

The committee assessed the claims of Victoria Shopping Centre where 20 shops were affected and Saddar Cooperative Market where 338 shops were gutted and recommended a compensation of Rs52.450 million and Rs392.747 million for both the markets, respectively.

The chief minister finally approved the amount and handed over the compensatory cheques among the affected shopkeepers so that they could restart their businesses.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Shah said that he was really shocked and deeply saddened after hearing the news about the unfortunate incidents at the Cooperative Market and Victoria building wherein all the shops were completely destroyed and reduced to ashes causing immense financial losses to the shopkeepers.

He said that Businessmen Group chairman Zubair Motiwala and the KCCI timely approached him and shared all details of the destruction and sought compensation for the shopkeepers affected by this fire.

“After duly examining the extent of the damages, the Sindh government and the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party decided to help out the distressed shopkeepers by extending them full financial support,” he said.

“It’s not the first time that the Sindh government has supported the business community in difficult times. Previously, even at the time of Bolton Market fire incident in 2009, our government had provided due compensation to all the affectees,” he said.

The CM expressed the hope that such fire incidents would be prevented by putting in place proper fire safety equipment.

He also urged the business community to install the requisite fire safety mechanism and equipment at markets and take care of civil by-laws to avoid any such unfortunate incident from occurring again.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2022