ISLAMABAD, JAN 20 /DNA/ – The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Sardar Tahir Mehmood, Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub, and Vice President Irfan Chaudhry have expressed profound grief and sorrow over the tragic incident at Gul Plaza, Karachi, which resulted in the loss of precious lives and caused massive financial losses, with traders’ properties worth billions of rupees destroyed.

The ICCI leadership extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. They termed the tragedy deeply distressing and said it exposed serious shortcomings in safety arrangements.

President ICCI Sardar Tahir Mehmood, strongly demanded the formation of a high-level committee comprising representatives of the government and the business community to conduct a transparent, merit-based and time-bound inquiry into the incident. He called for strict punishment for those found responsible, stressing that accountability is essential to prevent such tragedies in the future.

He also urged the Sindh government to immediately restore and further strengthen the rescue and emergency management system to ensure timely response in such incidents. Additionally, the ICCI President demanded special tax relief and financial concessions for the affected traders to help them recover from the huge losses suffered in the tragedy.

Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub and Vice President Irfan Chaudhry supported the President’s stance and emphasized that adequate and prompt compensation for the families of the deceased and the affected traders must be ensured as a matter of priority.