Financial loss over Rs 25b

KARACHI The traders and affected shopkeepers have conservatively estimated the financial loss, to be over Rs25 billion, caused by arson incidents and violence that broke out following a suicide blast in a Muharram procession, on MA Jinnah Road here in Karachi.
During a survey conducted by The Nation here on Tuesday, the traders and shopkeeper owners also alleged that Rangers and Police personnel fled from the scene after the blast which resulted in the arson and violence incidents in which miscreant put to the torch hundreds of shops in Light House and Bolton Market.
They also blamed the fire-brigade and negligence of the law enforcement agencies, saying that the loss could be minimised through timely action by the fire-fighters. The fire spread through majority of shops due to non-availability of the fire brigade.
The fire in Bolton Market building lighted by the miscreants after the suicide blast in Muharram procession could not be extinguished till the evening on Tuesday. However, some portion of the affected building collapsed due to the intense fire.
This scribe during a visit to the area talked to the shopkeepers to know their point of view. According to them, the Bolton Market, Cloth Market, Plastic Market, Paper Market, Medicine Market and hundreds of shops in Chari Lane were burnt.
Though, the exact figure of loss will be established after a comprehensive survey, the traders are claiming that they have suffered over Rs25 billion loss because of torching of about 3,000 shops in both markets.
The Bolton Market is the wholesale market which provides products to all over the country at wholesale rates, consisting of shops dealing in cloths, general stores, medicines, electronics and other items.
Chairman Bolton Market Association Asif Rasheed said that at least 3,000 shops were set on fire by miscreants in Bolton Market and Light House. At least Rs25 billion financial losses have been occurred due to the incidents of blazes and violence after the suicide attack.
He questioned the role of the law enforcement agencies, which were not vanished after the blast on MA Jinnah Road, adding that absence of the law enforcement agencies personnel led to gruesome arson and torching incidents.
He remarked that traders of Bolton Market, who earlier provided help to other needy persons, were now in dire need help of the government.
He appealed to the government for necessary help to revive their trades, pointing out that majority of the traders of Bolton Market and Light House had lost their whole income of life in the blaze and violence incidents.
Chairman Alliance of Market Association Attique Mir said at least 80 percent shops were torched due to the non-availability of the fire brigade staff and negligence on the part of the government.
He pointed out that the traders required at least six months to restore their businesses. He said at least 3,000 shops were set ablaze, which was a huge loss to the national economy of the country.
President All Pakistan Memon Federation Association Abid Chinnai demanded that the government should pay damages for the losses suffered by the traders. He also said that the fire could have been controlled earlier if the fire brigade had reached the spot immediately.
Fareed Ahmed owner of Electronic items shop at Bolton Market while talking to The Nation said that this shop was his only financial asset, which had been unfortunately burnt by the miscreants.
According to Fareed, he lives in a rental house, but after this unfortunate incident, he doesnt know how he would start his business again.
During the visit to the Bolton Market, it was observed that shopkeepers were busy in collecting remaining items from their shops which were turned into ashes after the blazing incidents.
People gathered at Bolton Market also chanted slogans against government.