Gul Plaza traders demand aid, blame delayed response as losses mount in Karachi

Traders affected by the Gul Plaza fire in Karachi demanded an immediate financial relief package to support rebuilding the shopping centre and restoring businesses, while criticising what they described as a delayed response by city authorities.

At a press conference outside the damaged building, Gul Plaza Traders Association Chairman Mohammad Ismail and Pakistan Cereal Association Chairman Muzammil Rauf Chappal called for a transparent inquiry to determine responsibility for negligence, according to the report.

The traders said the blaze, which began late Saturday and burned for more than a day, destroyed over 1,200 shops and wiped out large amounts of working capital. They warned that thousands of employees had been left without income and urged the government to announce at least six months of financial support for affected workers.

They also alleged that firefighting vehicles arrived with inadequate water supplies and said their repeated pleas overnight to save goods and shops were not met with timely assistance. The traders argued that reconstruction would require significant funding and called for government involvement alongside the private sector to help businesses reopen and jobs return.