KARACHI:
Gul Plaza has reopened in the metropolis, bringing hope to affected shopkeepers as they set up stalls in a temporary market that has attracted a large number of Karachiites.
The market has been established at a banquet hall at the intersection of Qayumabad and Defence, organized by the Karachi-based youth NGO Hamdard Haath. Almost 140 shop owners from Gul Plaza are participating and offering a range of goods, including wall clocks, tableware, home furnishings, bedding, children’s clothing and kitchen electronics.
Families from all over the city have flocked to the market to shop. A woman from Gulistan-e-Jauhar told The Express Pakinomist, “I have come miles away just to support the Gul Plaza victims this Eid. I shop here to help them in any way I can.”
Gul Plaza traders said they cannot recover the lost Ramazan season or their physical stores and are now dependent on online sales, which have not responded as well as the market.
They expressed a willingness to continue and said that Hamdard Haath has made the space available at no cost. Some of their goods are from personal stock, while other goods are borrowed on credit to sell in the market.
The three-day market for Gul Plaza victims is scheduled to continue until late Sunday evening, giving residents an opportunity to support the affected shopkeepers while shopping for Eid.
“Karachi’s future depends on democratic restructuring and collective political will,” he said.
