Salaried workers and vendors, stunned by the ruins of buildings, see the loss of their livelihoods ahead of Ramadan and Eid
A view of the damaged Gul Plaza market building after a fire in Karachi. Photo:
KARACHI:
Gul Plaza has been reduced to ashes, but the deeper tragedy is etched on the faces of the vendors and daily laborers whose livelihood depended on the building. For them, the fire has not only destroyed a market: it has extinguished hope, plunging hundreds of families into anxiety, pain and uncertainty.
Outside the charred structure, workers stand in stunned silence, repeatedly pleading to be allowed inside to recover what little remains after the fire. However, due to ongoing rescue operations, authorities prohibited them from entering the building which is now in dilapidated condition.
They seemed helpless and distraught, asking each other the same disturbing questions: Where will we find work now? What will we gain? When will the stores reopen? What will we take home for our families? With the approach of Ramadan and Eid, their concerns have intensified.
These voices belong to the vendors and laborers who worked at Gul Plaza, men who now spend their days and nights praying that their livelihood will somehow be restored.
“With the plaza, the flame on my kitchen stove went out,” said Chacha Saleem, sitting on a nearby path.
Saleem, a pushcart operator who used to transport goods to shops and warehouses inside Gul Plaza, pleaded not to be photographed.
Visibly devastated, he said, “I am helpless. I am the only breadwinner in my family. I have a family consisting of my wife and three daughters. We live in a rented part in Jubilee area. I used to deliver goods. How will I pay the rent? How will I feed my family? I just want a job.”
Ahmed Habib, owner of a toy store in the building, said he employed five salespeople and ran a successful business.
“Everything was normal just three days ago,” he said. “I closed my shop and left before the fire broke out. Suddenly, flames engulfed the entire building. Some people managed to escape, but we don’t know how many were trapped inside or lost their lives.”
According to him, the tragedy has ruined even rich merchants. “We do business both in cash and on credit. Now it’s all over. We have fallen from heaven to earth overnight.”
Rehan, who ran a women’s cosmetics store, said her shop was completely destroyed.
“All of us merchants are in terrible grief. At least our lives are saved, but economically we are finished. The government must immediately help rebuild the square. What will we feed our children now? Those who used to help others are now forced to seek help for themselves.”
Aman Safdar, a young resident of Lyari, described Gul Plaza as an economic hub that supports thousands of households.
“This was a center of commerce. Everyone is worried, especially the vendors and workers. The Ramadan and Eid season is near, the time when businesses usually recover. Instead, the fire destroyed the building and closed the businesses. This tragedy will push many families into hunger. What will we do until aid is extended?”
For Abubakar, who used to supply home-cooked lunches from the Garden Area to several stores, the loss is devastating.
“I earned around Rs 2,000 a day,” he said. “Now everything is gone, but I believe that when Allah closes one door, he opens another. But right now, the working class is deeply worried.”
Aman Khan, who supplied tea to the market, echoed the same desperation. “Everything is destroyed. Shopkeepers used to give tips. I have come from Peshawar to earn a living. Like me, everyone’s livelihood has ended. People are crying and praying that work starts again soon. The government must help.”
Raju, who worked in a crockery shop, urged the government to set up a temporary market or bazaar nearby, even on open land, so that small traders and workers could restart modest businesses.
As investigations and relief efforts continue, the silent suffering of the Gul Plaza workers remains a stark reminder that beyond the burned walls are hundreds of lives fighting to survive, waiting not for sympathy, but for work, dignity and hope.
