Business Recorder
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced that his government has approved a comprehensive Rs7 billion financial package for the Gul Plaza tragedy affectees, of which Rs5.657 billion has been secured, and Rs511.7 million in compensation cheques have been distributed among 200 verified victims, reaffirming the government’s commitment to their full rehabilitation and to preventing such incidents in future. Speaking as the chief guest at a ceremony held at the CM House, the chief minister described the Gul Plaza tragedy as a painful incident that caused immense human and financial losses to many families and the business community. Provincial ministers, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Jam Ikramullah Dharejo, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Saeed Ghani, Adviser to CM Gyan Chand Essrani, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, representatives of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including Zubair Motiwala, and a large number of affectees attended the ceremony. The Chief Minister said the Sindh government, guided by the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party, and had been committed from day one to providing immediate and long-term relief to the victims. He said in the first phase, compensation of Rs10 million each was announced for the families of 72 deceased persons. Payments have already been completed in 64 cases, while four are under verification and four are pending due to issues relating to legal heirs. In the second phase, 849 affected shopkeepers were provided Rs500,000 each as immediate relief during Ramazan to help them begin rebuilding their livelihoods. Murad Ali Shah said the provincial government had also approved a comprehensive Rs7 billion financial package for the victims, out of which Rs5.657 billion had already been obtained through the Accountant General’s office for distribution among affectees according to assessments provided by KCCI. Under the ongoing phase, cheques worth Rs511.7 million were distributed among 200 verified affectees, while compensation for the remaining claimants would also be released after KCCI verification. According to KCCI estimates, Gul Plaza housed 1,209 shops, and compensation is being processed based on inventory losses. Expressing solidarity with the victims, the Chief Minister said no compensation could fully offset the losses suffered, but the government stood firmly with the affectees. “No financial assistance can compensate for the pain and losses suffered, but we are committed to your rehabilitation and support,” he said. Shah said that the government was determined to complete all pending payments and continue supporting affected traders. “Every verified affected person will receive compensation. No one will be left behind,” he said. Murad Ali Shah praised the resilience of the affected families and the trader community and said their courage in difficult circumstances was admirable. He also emphasised that the government was working to ensure stronger preventive and safety measures to avoid recurrence of such tragedies. “We will continue taking measures not only for rehabilitation but also to prevent such incidents in future,” he said. The Chief Minister appreciated the role of KCCI in assessment and verification and said collaboration with stakeholders had made the compensation process possible. Action on Judicial Commission report: Chief Minister Murad Shah also spoke on the Judicial Commission report on the Gul Plaza tragedy, announcing that a committee had been constituted to implement its recommendations and present its proposals before the next Sindh cabinet meeting. He said accountability would be ensured in line with the report. “Whoever has been identified as responsible in the report will face action,” he said, adding that more than 90 percent of the findings reflected concerns his government had pointed out from the outset. The Chief Minister said President Asif Ali Zardari had also taken up the issue with Chinese authorities and that a Chinese company had twice visited Karachi and prepared a comprehensive firefighting plan to strengthen emergency response systems. Murad Ali Shah acknowledged that in the past, greater focus had been placed on development than service delivery, but said the government was now addressing both simultaneously. “This year alone, over Rs300 billion worth of development schemes have been earmarked for Karachi, though ideally the city needs much larger investments,” he said. Shah said longstanding civic problems could not be attributed to one government alone, noting that many structural issues predated the present administration. The Chief Minister used the occasion to brief participants on major infrastructure and rehabilitation initiatives underway across Karachi, saying Azeempura Flyover would be completed within 90 days, while work was progressing on Pehlwan Goth Road, Natha Khan Goth Road, the road linking 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 Road near SIUT, Chand Bibi Road, Islahuddin Road and roads around Gul Plaza. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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