Karachi chamber moves to assess damage and push compensation after deadly Gul Plaza fire

Karachi’s business community has set up a special committee to coordinate relief, assess losses and press the government for compensation after a deadly fire gutted Gul Plaza, one of the city’s busiest commercial buildings, destroying hundreds of shops and killing several people.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced the formation of the Gul Plaza Fire Incident Committee following an emergency meeting on Sunday, shortly after the blaze tore through the multi-story market on M.A. Jinnah Road. The fire caused what business leaders described as irreparable loss of life and livelihoods.

The committee was formed by Businessmen Group Chairman Zubair Motiwala and will be jointly chaired by Businessmen Group Vice Chairman Jawed Bilwani and KCCI President Rehan Hanif. Its members include senior KCCI officeholders, former chamber presidents, representatives of the Gul Plaza Association and members of KCCI’s law and order and legal committees.

In a statement, KCCI and BMG leaders expressed condolences to the families of those killed and said the chamber stood “in complete solidarity” with traders whose shops and inventories were destroyed.

They said the chamber remained in close contact with the Sindh government as the fire broke out, including with Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who they said responded quickly to requests for rescue and firefighting support. KCCI representatives were present at the site and monitored the operation, the statement said.

The committee’s immediate priorities include ensuring medical care for the injured and providing support to bereaved families. It is also working to identify nearby premises where salvaged goods and recovered material can be temporarily stored.

Preliminary estimates suggest that more than 1,000 small and medium-sized shops were destroyed, dealing a severe financial blow to traders, many of whom lost their only source of income, the chamber said.

KCCI has formally appealed to both the federal and provincial governments to announce a special compensation and rehabilitation package. The appeal is addressed to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Business leaders pointed to past precedents, recalling that after the 2009 Bolton Market arson attack, the federal government approved PKR 3 billion in compensation while the Sindh government released an additional PKR 500 million. That funding led to compensation for nearly 2,000 affected traders and the reconstruction of 19 fire-damaged buildings on the same arterial road.

KCCI said it would use its institutional capacity to ensure transparent damage assessments and fair compensation for Gul Plaza victims.

“KCCI stands shoulder to shoulder with the traders affected by the Gul Plaza tragedy and will not leave them alone at any stage,” the chamber’s leadership said.