Karachi to be made symbol of pride: Malik Riaz

KARACHI: Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz said on Friday that he had the vision of making Karachi a beautiful city and transforming it into a modern metropolitan on the lines of Hong Kong and Dubai port cities that its residents would take pride on it. He expressed these views while addressing the cheques distribution ceremony held at Darbar Hall of Sindh Governor House and the ceremony was attended by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz Hussain, Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, public representatives and leaders of business community.
As many as 42 effected residents and traders of Karachi Timber Market fire incident were given compensation cheques of Rs1 million each by Bahria Town on Friday. He said that he was doing no favour while extending financial compensation to affected people of Timber Market fire incident as he had always considered all the financial resources he had being the trust of Allah available to him for spending them on welfare of public. Malik Riaz hoped that Sindh government would fulfill all its obligations and commitments made earlier for rehabilitation and support of victims of Timber Market fire incident.
He said that he would spend Rs42 billion in next 11 months for construction of glorious and impressive road traffic corridor in Karachi. Bahria Town chief also announced that his construction concern would bring to Karachi some six new fire tenders which would be used for combating any major fire incident in Karachi.
Malik Riaz said that any of the affected persons of Timber Market fire incident could contact any time his son-in-law Zain Malik in case he or she faced any difficulty in getting compensation announced by Bahria Town.
Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain also telephonically addressed the participants from London and praised the services of armed forces for their resolve and steadfastness in fight against terrorism.
Altaf Hussain also praised services of Malik Riaz as he had always risen to the occasion and immediately rushed to assist the people in despair whenever any tragedy befell in the country.
He said the MQM activists had tirelessly worked for rescue, support and rehabilitation of the affected people and traders of Timber Market and still he would seek apology if there had been any slackness by his party workers in the rescue and rehabilitation operation in the aftermath of Timber Market fire incident. He praised the services of local leaders and activists of Muttahida to rescue and support the victims of Timber Market fire incident.
Altaf Hussain also highlighted the situation that fire brigade services available to Karachi lacked in modern equipment and machinery and in this regard Prime Minister Interior Minister and Sindh chief minister should immediately look into the matter so that fire fighters in Karachi could provide their emergency services with best of resources. He expressed desire that Sindh CM should conduct investigate Timber Market fire incident. Altaf Hussain also condemned the terrorism incident earlier in the day at the Imamia Mosque in Peshawar during Friday prayers.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan said that the entire nation was fully united with the resolve to fight terrorism and defeat the problem with exemplary passion.
The governor said the daring and courageous armed forces of Pakistan had been fighting with gallantry and rendering innumerable sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and their services would surely be successful in purging the country of scourge of terrorism.
The governor assured the effected traders of Timber Market that both federal and Sindh governments would fully support and assist them in their complete rehabilitation. Governor praised the services of Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz Hussain saying that he had the distinction of always thinking and materialising development and welfare projects, which would benefit maximally the deserving public.
Giving examples of some of the projects conceived by Malik Riaz, the governor said that Bahira Town had sponsored construction of an under-pass project in Clifton area of Karachi while Bahria Town would also finance and carry out restoration work of shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi also in Clifton, which would cost around Rs350 million to Rs400 million. He said the Bahria Town would also construct a long special road corridor for mass bus transit service, which would not only benefit Bahria Town’s own construction projects in Karachi but also provide massive commuting facilities to the people of Karachi.
He said that Bahria Town had also announced compensation of Rs4.5 million for bereaved families of each of 20 martyred policemen in Sindh. Sindh governor recalled the statement of Malik Riaz, which he made at the ground-breaking of Altaf Hussain University in Hyderabad that he (Malik Riaz) would like to promote his own identity as a welfare tycoon instead of being remembered merely as a business tycoon.
He said that the Timber Market fire incident in Karachi in December, 2014 was a highly tragic event causing massive damages and losses to traders and residents of the market area but Malik Riaz once again lived up to his reputation and immediately announced and materialised financial compensation for affected persons of the fire incident. Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on the occasion that in a span of mere a few days the Sindh government would provide all the compensation money for overcoming financial and business losses of traders of Timber Market.