Ashura blast of 2009: reconstructed shops, offices handed over to affected traders

The Karachi Affected Markets Relief Committee (KAMRA) has handed over 170 keys and possession letters of reconstructed shops and offices to the affectees of Ashura blast of December 28, 2009 wherein 17 buildings on Marriot Road and M.A. Jinnah Road were gutted. A simple ceremony to hand over keys and possession of the shops was held here at Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Friday.
Leader of Businessmen Group and former President KCCI, Siraj Kasim Teli handed over the keys and possession letters to affected owners of shops and offices. This was the second ceremony held at KCCI to hand possession letters among the affected people. First ceremony was held in June this year wherein Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan was the chief guest, who distributed around 100 keys and possession letters.
Speaking on the occasion, Teli expressed concerns over delay in construction of the buildings. He also expressed dismay over the delay in initiation of construction work of Lala Ram and Rashid buildings due to cases in courts. He advised the committee members to contact those who had filed the cases and make efforts to settle the cases so that constriction work could be started as soon as possible.
Chairman Sindh Investment Board, Zubair Motiwala said that compensation of Rs 1.38 billion were given to the 1,774 claimants against their claims for loss of goods whereas Rs 207 millions were allocated for reconstruction of the affected markets. Convenor Construction Committee KAMRC, A.Q. Khalil informed that 80 percent construction work of all the buildings had been completed at a cost of Rs 207 million except two building construction of those could not be initiated due to cases in courts.