CDGK stops rehabilitation work on arson-affected markets

February 2, 2010
By Irfan Aligi

KARACHI: City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has announced to immediately stop all ongoing rehabilitation work on arson-affected buildings and traders.
In a statement issued on Monday, the CDGK said that it has closed down all such work and has asked the arson-affected traders to contact Siraj Kasam Teli for any further assistance.

It was further stated that the City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that the CDGK had nothing to do with the committees, which the Karachi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has constituted for the assistance of the affected traders or Siraj Qasim Teli who had been made incharge of all such affairs regarding rehabilitation of the traders.

The statement said that the City nazim has advised all the affectees of Ashura Blast and arson are requested to contact Siraj Qasim Teli and provincial government for all their matters and assistance as the CDGK has concluded its efforts it had initiated in this regard.

The decision has surprised the majority of traders and it looks as if the CDGK and the KCCI were in confrontation to each other in an attempt to surpass each other for their efforts for the rehabilitation of the arson-affected Boulton Market Traders.

This decision has come at a time when the CDGK had already ensured maximum relief work and it had also completed repair and renovation and reconstruction of 9 arson-affected major markets within 22 days while the traders of these markets had received keys from City Nazim’s hands.

While talking to Daily Times, Sindh government constituted Karachi Affected Markets Relief Committee (KAMRC) spokesman Abdul Qayyum Khalil said that the KAMRC was a gazetted committee constituted by the Sindh government and the role of the CDGK and the KCCI was independent regarding rehabilitation of the traders.

He said that the City Nazim had done his best as the Father of the City and was not linked to that of the KCCI. However, the decision of concluding the rehabilitation work could be due to some misunderstanding, which might be removed in a couple of days.

As far as Siraj Kasam Teli was concerned, he had today (Monday) briefed Sindh governor Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan and Dr Farooque Sattar that there was a misunderstanding on the part of the City Nazim, which should be removed immediately because he had always lauded the role of the city nazim and his efforts for the rehabilitation of the traders.

Khalil added that the City Nazim would soon visit the KCCI.

In reply to a question, Khalil said that Sindh government should be contacted for the answer why the City Nazim was not taken as member of the KAMRC, adding that the committee was constituted with the consultation of Sindh governor and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.

In reply to another question, Khalil said that it was essential to form a committee because of distribution of Rs 3.5 billion, which the federal and the provincial governments had allocated for the relief work.

Khalil said that the CDGK and the KCCI were independent institutions and they were free to make efforts within their limits.

Traders Association of Marriot Road president Haji Usman Sharif told Daily Times that KCCI was an independent representative institution on behalf of the traders and has been formulating its policies and making decision for the betterment of the traders with their consent and support. Henceforth, all KCCI decisions would be sure in the interest of the traders.

He said that CDGK has its own limitations and only Boulton Market, Lunda Bazar market and Paper markets were under CDGK’s jurisdiction. Therefore, the CDGK had the responsibility to address their issues.

He further said that the KAMRC was formed for fair and justified distribution of funds worth Rs 3.5 billion.