KARACHI
Shopkeepers of the fire-hit Cooperative Market and Victoria Building have been urged to claim the precise compensation honestly as per actual losses.
Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Idrees said this on Monday while assuring full support and cooperation to the shopkeepers, vowing to make all-out efforts till all the shopkeepers of both markets receive compensations exactly as per losses suffered by them.
Addressing more than 400 shopkeepers of Cooperative Market and Victoria Building who gathered here at KCCI Auditorium to attend a meeting held to explain the procedure adopted by KCCI to evaluate compensation claims, they said that KCCI would try its best to ensure release of funds to the affectees as early as possible.
Unrealistic and exaggerated compensation claims being demanded by shopkeepers was going to make things difficult and would obviously delay the overall process therefore, the shopkeepers must truthfully and honestly submit their claims which has been particularly emphasised in Islam, they added.
They said that committees led by KCCI’s managing committee members have already been formed and they have been tasked to assess all the compensation claims. Each and every shopkeeper will have to appear before these committees to defend his claims and also take an oath to guarantee his truthfulness and honesty, which will be followed meticulous scrutiny and then the cases will be recommended for release of compensation to the Sindh government’s committee in which KCCI was also being represented by Zubair Motiwala, Muhammad Idrees, Jawed Bilwani and AQ Khalil.
They said that it is chamber’s top most priority to complete the compensation within the earliest possible time but the shopkeepers have to be completely honest and truthful as per teachings of Islam.
They recalled that Karachi Chamber has all the expertise and experience available as this compensation evaluation process has been successfully carried out twice when the angry mob torched thousands of shops situated in Bolton Market Incident in 2009 and fire engulfed around 200 shops in Timber Market in 2015.
They also appreciated the seriousness exhibited by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, provincial ministers Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Jam Ikramullah Khan Dharejo and Saeed Ghani, and Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab who are keen to ensure timely release of compensation to all the affectees of Cooperative Market and Victoria Building.
