Traders of Karachi have demanded adequate compensation for the shop owners of Saddar Cooperative Market who suffered huge financial losses because of a massive fire that destroyed a number of shops.
The fire is being intensely debated on social media with some elements blaming the Sindh government for discriminating against the traders of Karachi, who pay heavy taxes. Elements from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan, MQM London and other Mohajir nationalist groups have tried to give it an ethnic color, whereas Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has accused the ethnic groups of exploiting the situation, blaming the MQM for a myriad of problems faced by the the largest city of Pakistan.
Provincial Minister for Labour Saeed Ghani said on Tuesday that it was the MQM that promoted ‘China cutting’ encouraging encroachment on drains that added to the problems of the city. But the traders of the city seemed to be furious over the inaction of the provincial government and the city administration which, according to them, did not take prompt actions to extinguish the fire that could have saved the belongings of the traders.
Talking to Minute Mirror, the leader of Karachi traders community, Attique Mir said had the city administration taken timely action, the damage could have been minimized. “Despite paying taxes we have no facilities. The fire department has not been modernized to meet any eventuality. This is not the first incident in the city. The metropolis has witnessed a number of such incidents in the last 20 years but the city administration and Sindh government did not take the required actions,” he complained.
Mir demanded the government assessed the losses suffered by the traders and paid them adequate compensation so that they could resume their business. A number of traders told Minute Mirror, on the condition of anonymity, that the entire business community was furious over the inaction of the government and warned that if it did not pay adequate compensation they would take to the streets.
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