Assistance to shopkeepers

The Empress Market that was constructed during the British Raj slowly became the most-visited market of Karachi. With time, small shops start opening up along the market. Soon, the market was surrounded by hundreds of shops selling different essential items. Recently, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) launched an anti-encroachment drive across the city. During the operation in Saddar, the authorities razed over 1,000 shops that were illegally opened around the market. Thousands of shopkeepers have been deprived of their only source of earning.

But the operation was met with a lot of praise from people who took to Twitter and Facebook to share the before and after pictures of the market. The fact that an overwhelming majority of residents consider vendors and stall owners not-worthy of having a space in a market is downright depressing. For so many people, the building’s glory and grace has been brought back. However, none of them considered to discuss the devastating effects this operation has had on the poor and how the shopkeepers will cover the loss they have incurred. It is the responsibility of the government to compensate these shopkeepers and provide an alternative location for them to set up their stalls and shops.

Tooba Ansari ( Karachi )