Shop owners of Gul Plaza, along with their families, traders, lawyers and other affected stakeholders, staged a protest at the site of the demolished shopping centre, demanding immediate reconstruction and financial relief.
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The protest was organized by the Gul Plaza Owners Association, with a large number of affected shop owners attending the camp set up at the site.
The protesters said eight months had passed since the Gul Plaza tragedy, but reconstruction work had yet to begin and the debris had not been cleared despite repeated assurances by the authorities.
General Secretary of the Gul Plaza Owners Association Arif Qadri said around 800 shop owners had not received even a single rupee in relief following the incident.
He demanded that the government demolish the remaining structure, clear the debris and immediately begin reconstruction of Gul Plaza.
According to the protesters, more than 850 shop owners, including over 100 women, lost their businesses following the disaster. They said many affected families depended on rental income from their shops for their livelihoods.
The protesters alleged that while tenants had received some compensation, the actual owners of the shops had been left without any relief.
Addressing the protest camp, trader leader Abdul Rauf Ibrahim urged the affected shop owners to continue their struggle and unite to press for their demands.
“Do not be afraid. Continue the struggle and you will get your rights,” he said, stressing that the issue would remain unresolved unless the affected owners raised their voices collectively.
Trader leader Sharjeel Goplani also criticized what he described as government indifference towards the affected shop owners.
He appealed to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to take notice of their grievances and order immediate reconstruction of Gul Plaza.
The protesters warned that if the government failed to respond to their demands, they would hold a formal sit-in on M.A. Jinnah Road.
Goplani said the entire business community stood with the Gul Plaza shop owners and called for preparations for a prolonged protest if their demands were not addressed.
The protesters also demanded an audit of the distribution of compensation following the Gul Plaza tragedy, calling for transparency over the relief provided to affected people.
They reiterated their demand for immediate removal of the debris and commencement of reconstruction, saying the prolonged delay had deepened the financial difficulties faced by hundreds of shop-owning families.
