ISLAMABAD: Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hammad Al Thani concluded his two-day visit to Islamabad on Sunday after signing three bilateral MOUs on trade and investment, tourism and business, and the exchange of financial intelligence.
Following a ceremony at the President House on Sunday where the Qatari head of state was conferred Pakistan’s highest civilian honor- the Nishan-e-Pakistan- by President Arif Alvi, the emir was seen off at Islamabad’s Nur Khan air base by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis, Zulfikar Bukhari.
During his visit, the emir attended one-on-one discussions with Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi, as well as delegation level meetings between representatives from both countries to discuss different areas of bilateral relations, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The two sides also exchanged views on the regional situation and efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.
Last week, the Prime Minister’s official Instagram account had announced in a post that Qatar would be making investments in Pakistan worth $22 billion.
Emir of Qatar concludes Pakistan trip after signing three MoUs
Emir of Qatar concludes Pakistan trip after signing three MoUs
- The emir attended one-on-one discussions with Prime Minister and the President
- Three bilateral agreements were signed in areas of trade, business and financial intelligence sharing
Traders say Karachi plaza fire caused $54 million losses as death toll climbs to 71
- Rescuers work through unstable debris as identification continues, compensation announced
- Rising death toll underscores scale of the disaster and the challenges now facing forensic teams
ISLAMABAD: A deadly fire at a major shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi has killed at least 71 people and caused estimated losses of up to Rs15 billion ($53.6 million), traders and officials said on Friday, as recovery teams continue searching unstable debris and families await identification of victims.
The fire broke out on Jan. 17 at Gul Plaza, a densely packed commercial complex in the heart of Karachi that housed more than 1,200 shops. The blaze burned for over 24 hours before being brought under control, trapping workers and shoppers inside and leaving large sections of the building structurally unsafe.
Deadly fires are a recurring problem in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, where overcrowded markets, aging infrastructure, illegal construction and weak enforcement of safety regulations frequently contribute to disasters. Officials say a blaze of this scale is rare.
“We have processed 71 sets of remains, of which 20 have been identified,” chief police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said on Friday, underscoring the scale of the disaster and the challenges facing forensic teams.
Identification has been significantly slowed by the condition of the remains recovered from the site, Syed said, noting that many bodies were found in fragments, complicating DNA analysis and prolonging the process for families waiting for confirmation.
Tanveer Pasta, president of the Gul Plaza Market Association, said all shops in the plaza were destroyed, estimating total losses at up to Rs15 billion ($53.6 million).
“There were big importers sitting here,” he told Arab News on Thursday. “Just three days before this fire, 31 [shipping] containers were unloaded.”
Relatives of dozens of missing persons have remained near the destroyed plaza and at hospitals even after submitting DNA samples, with some families expressing frustration over the pace of recovery and identification.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the city administration remained focused on rescue operations and on returning victims’ remains to their families as quickly as possible. His remarks came after he visited the homes of several victims, according to a statement from his office.
“Rescue personnel of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation are still engaged in the rescue operation, while the administration is making every effort to hand over [remains] of the victims, loved ones to their families at the earliest,” Wahab was quoted as saying.
Earlier this week, the Sindh provincial government announced compensation of Rs10 million ($35,720) for the family of each person killed in the blaze and said affected shopkeepers would also receive financial assistance.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire. Police have said preliminary indications point to a possible electrical short circuit, though officials stress conclusions will only be drawn after investigations are completed.
