LAHORE – The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has urged the government to immediately announce the rehabilitation plan for the victimised traders of Shah Alam market inferno. These views were expressed by the PIAF Chairman Sohail Lashari, while talking to a delegation of Shah Alam market businessmen here on Thursday.
He grieved that the government had not taken any steps for the rehabilitation of the sufferers of Shah Alam market fire. In addition, no preventive measures for future had been planned. He asked the government to immediately compensate the fire-affected traders of Shah Alam market.
Sohail Lashari said that provincial capital had met dozens of terrible fire incidents. He referred to the 1996 incident when goods worth billion of rupees turned to ashes at the Lahore Dry Port.
He said various plastic and chemical units of Lahore Township Industrial Estate were also destroyed due to fire. He said that, in most cases, fire could easily be controlled. However, lack of fire fighting facilities and poor condition of fire tenders had made the situation grim.
The PIAF chairman agreed that such heinous incidents are generally caused by unplanned growth of business centers. However, it is the duty of the concerned government departments to halt construction on these unplanned centers.
