President Asif Ali Zardari has assured business community that a relief package will be announced for affected businessmen and shopkeepers of December 28th incident. Zardari also assured business community that government would provide Rs 3 billion as initial help for affected shopkeepers.
The president was talking to a delegation of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) at Bilawal House on Wednesday, he said that entire nation is mourning the said incident of bomb blast on the occasion of Ashura procession in which more than 43 innocent lives were lost and business community suffered huge losses in the hand of terrorists who torched a large number of shops and buildings.
He further assured business community that government would provide all possible assistance to make it possible for affected people to restart their businesses. Zardari appealed to general public, businessmen and philanthropists to contribute generously in the fund created by federal interior minister in collaboration with KCCI.
The president also assured that he himself would ask Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to announce relief package for Boulton Market and M A Jinnah road shopkeepers in next few days. Zardari further said that he would soon discuss with Federal Finance Mister Shoukat Tarin to allocate fund for initial relief measures.
On the demand of Leader of Businessmen Group Siraj Kassam Teli, President KCCI Abdul Majid Haji Mohammad, Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh Zubair Motiwala, Former presidents KCCI Anjum Nisar, Tahir Khaliq Haroon Farooqui, President Zardari said that government will consider to provide alternative place to the affected businessmen.
Talking to Business Recorder Siraj Kassam Teli said that they have demanded that railway ground and two more places be allocated for temporary rehabilitation of the affected shopkeepers where they should start business by constructing temporary cabins. He said that he briefed Asif Ali Zardari in detail about the incident in which innocent people lost their lives and billion of rupees property and shops where burnt to ashes.