The fire, which broke out around 12:30am in Old Haji Camp – one of the city’s most densely populated areas – took as much as 12 hours to extinguish. As firefighters ran desperately from one end to another to arrange water and other materials to fight the blaze, shopkeepers of Old Haji Camp looked on helplessly as their homes and sources of income were razed to the ground.
As the dust settled, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) traded barbs over the incident.
MQM leaders accused the PPP provincial government of negligence and called for the resignations of Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Information Minister Sharjeel Memon. “Over 90% of the damage occurred due to PPP government’s negligence,” said MNA Farooq Sattar. “The ministers of Sindh slept as Karachi burnt,” said Rabita Committee In-Charge Qamar Mansoor.
“All allegations levelled by MQM are baseless,” said Sharjeel Memon in response. “We believe in practical politics… It will be an injustice to the people of Karachi to make this tragedy a political issue.”
Memon said the fire brigade staff was informed of the fire at 1:19am after which fire tenders reached the spot within minutes. He added that issues in the workings of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Water and Sewerage Board were due to ghost employees and insinuated many of them belonged to the MQM.
“There are employees who live in South Africa, Dubai and other countries but are paid by these departments,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government has constituted a two-member committee to investigate the fire tragedy.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2014.
COMMENTS (10)
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Sirf Altaf!
Most affected by Khi fire were people living in flats. Some buildings will have to be demolished due to structural weakness. RC has separated from columns, beams. These people will have to go on rent till new hi-rises built. Assistance Fund be created, donations from public, Fed., Prov. Govts injected in billions. Next on priority, shop owners. In spite of hi-markups in Teak and other Inflammable inventories, no culture of Fire Insurance. CM can win the hearts of many if the Rs1.6 billion 3rd helicopter is not acquired, and this money [taxpayers] donated to A. Fund.
New standard Justification fits to ALL, "this tragedy should not be used for political gains"
I like to know what precautions were taken against such incidents by the Govt, after the similar blaze, couple years back, that burned-to-death 200 plus workers?
250 burnt shops or 250 burnt families... Kisay wakeel karain kis say munsafi chahain!!
This blame game will continue, but the livelihood of many are destroyed may Allah help them get back on their feets and prosper.
Why cant we have pressurized water lines and fire hydrants across the city , water with that pressure can surely outdo the fire, when will we learn !
Why no committee is ever formed to investigate and get rid of ghost employees? Isn't inaction by Sindh government an abatement given that they are in knowledge of the ghost employment? Both parties are exploiting scarce resources of the Sindh. No concrete measures have been taken for prosperity of poor people. In next five years Sindh would be 50 years behind rest of the other provinces.
I am just waiting for Hamid Gul or Zaid Hamid kind of terrorist apologists, to call it a conspiracy of India or Israel.
Why didnt PPP fire the ghost employees when they are in Govt. PPP always talk rubbish.