Murad Ali Shah declares the Gul Plaza relief initiative.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah declared that his administration has sanctioned a complete financial package of Rs7 billion for the victims of the Gul Plaza disaster, of which Rs5.6 billion has been secured, and Rs511 million in compensation checks have been disbursed to 200 verified victims.
A significant conflagration occurred in the shopping center in January of this year, resulting in the loss of nearly 70 lives and the destruction of hundreds of retail establishments.
During a ceremony at the CM House on Friday, the chief minister, as the chief guest, characterised the Gul Plaza disaster as a grievous event that inflicted significant human and financial losses on numerous families and the business sector.
He stated that in the initial round, a compensation of Rs10 million was declared for the families of 72 deceased individuals.
Payments have been finalised in 64 instances, while four are undergoing verification and four are delayed owing to complications concerning legal heirs, he stated.
During the second phase, 849 impacted shopkeepers received Rs500,000 each as immediate assistance during Ramadan to facilitate the restoration of their livelihoods.
The Chief Minister of Sindh announced that the province government has sanctioned a comprehensive cash package of Rs7 billion for the victims, of which Rs5.657 billion has already been secured through the Accountant General’s office for distribution among the affected individuals based on evaluations made by KCCI.
During the current round, cheques of Rs511.7 million were disbursed to 200 validated beneficiaries, while compensation for the remaining claims will be issued following KCCI certification.
KCCI estimates indicate that Gul Plaza contained 1,209 stores, and compensation is being administered based on inventory losses.
The chief minister expressed solidarity with the victims, stating that no compensation could entirely mitigate the losses incurred, although the government remained resolutely supportive of the affected individuals.
“No monetary compensation can alleviate the anguish and losses endured, yet we are dedicated to your recovery and assistance,” he stated.
Chief Minister Murad commended the fortitude of the impacted families and the trading community, noting their commendable bravery under challenging situations.
He also underscored that the government was endeavouring to implement more robust preventive and safety measures to avert the recurrence of such disasters.
“We will persist in implementing measures for both rehabilitation and the prevention of future incidents,” he stated.
The chief minister commended the KCCI’s participation in assessment and verification, stating that collaboration with stakeholders facilitated the compensation process.
Chief Minister Murad addressed the Judicial Commission report regarding the Gul Plaza disaster, declaring the formation of a committee tasked with executing its recommendations and presenting its proposals at the forthcoming Sindh cabinet meeting.
He stated that accountability would be guaranteed in accordance with the report.
“Those identified as accountable in the report will face consequences,” he stated, noting that over 90% of the results corroborated issues his administration had raised from the beginning.
The chief minister stated that President Asif Ali Zardari had addressed the matter with Chinese officials, and that a Chinese firm had visited Karachi twice to develop a complete firefighting strategy to enhance emergency response systems.
The Chief Minister of Sindh and provincial ministers delivered 129 cheques to the victims and guaranteed them that a new Gul Plaza building, including the same number of shops, would be completed within two years.
The chief minister utilised the occasion to inform participants about significant infrastructure and rehabilitation projects currently in progress throughout Karachi, stating that the Azeempura Flyover would be completed within 90 days, while work was advancing on Pehlwan Goth Road, Natha Khan Goth Road, the thoroughfare connecting Shahrah-e-Faisal to Gulshan, Nishtar Road, Turi Bangash Road, Sohrab Akhtar Road, Jehangir Road, Mirza Adam Road in Lyari, Qalandria Road, Metroville Road, Mehrunnisa
The chief minister emphasised that there would be no compromise on quality, addressing concerns expressed on social media about road works, and stated that field verification indicated some complaints originated from opposition to anti-encroachment efforts rather than construction flaws.
He declared that Shahrah-e-Bhutto will be inaugurated within the first ten days of May by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and that the Murghi Khana Bridge, along with the road connecting Masjid Ayesha to Shahrah-e-Bhutto, would also be finalised shortly.
Provincial ministers Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Jam Ikramullah Dharejo, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Saeed Ghani, Adviser to the Chief Minister Gyan Chand Essrani, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Agha Wasif, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, representatives from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including Zubair Motiwala, and numerous affected individuals attended the ceremony.