Victoria Market shopkeepers demand compensation from govt

Karachi begins to feel winter approaching after mid-November, which is usually the part of the year when the Victoria Market in Saddar makes a huge number of winter garment sales. But it’s different this time round.

The market is closed. Shop owners are calculating their losses, while their workers see a future of joblessness. The Victoria Market on the busy Abdullah Haroon Road of Saddar had suffered a devastating inferno on Wednesday morning that reduced the entire fifth floor of the building to ashes.

According to the shopkeepers, the fire broke out at around 11:30am on the building’s fifth floor, where most of the shops were used as warehouses. They initially attempted to put out the blaze themselves, but when they found themselves unable to do so, they informed the fire brigade.

Twenty-five shops were affected by the inferno. Raheel Paracha, president of the Victoria Welfare Association of the Victoria Shopping Centre (Zainab Market), told The News that they had incurred losses of at least Rs700 million.

“We’re left to our own devices,” he said, adding that apart from participating in extinguishing the fire, no one had helped them. Of the 30 shops there, eight to 10 were showrooms and the rest garment warehouses, he said. “I had three showrooms and a warehouse,” he said, adding that now he was standing at zero.

Paracha said that apart from the assistance of Saddar Town’s assistant commissioner in closing the road so they could carry out their cleaning process, there was no help from any government official of politician.

Another shopkeeper shared how he had imported garments worth millions of rupees and stored them at his warehouse. “Everything is ash now,” he said, adding that they saw amazing sales in winter garments during winters, “especially in November and December”.

He said that those who did not go for branded outfits, made their way to their shops where they found good winter outfits at affordable prices.

“Since we’re standing at zero, with everything charred, I fear what we’ll sell this year,” he said, adding that they desperately needed financial assistance from the government. The shopkeeper shared how he had scores of workers at his various showrooms and warehouses, and he could not pay them any more. Muhammad Owais had four shops on the fifth floor, out of which one was his warehouse. He has incurred a loss of Rs50 million because of the inferno. “Besides winter garments, I had summer garments as well — all imported to my warehouse.”

He said the fire was very intense and everything had burned down. Every shop owner in the market has at least 10 workers, he added. “With the entire fifth floor gutted by fire, imagine how many workers will be affected. How will we pay them?”

Owais requested the government to at least compensate them for 50 per cent of their losses. “This won’t give any businessman at the market more than Rs10 million, but at least we’d get something.”

He lamented the fact that the markets in Saddar pay the highest amount of taxes, but they do not get any relaxation when a disaster strikes.

Last Sunday a fire had engulfed the Cooperative Market located on the same Abdullah Haroon Road of Saddar. The entire market had burned down, causing huge financial losses to the shop owners.

More than 800 shops were affected by the inferno. According to the traders, their businesses had reduced to ashes. They said that 90 per cent of the market and warehouses had been destroyed, causing losses between Rs5 billion and Rs10 billion.

The market is famous for bridal dresses among other shops. The traders shared that not only clothes but a lot of cash as well had burned to a cinder.