QUETTA — Following a devastating fire at Haleem Plaza (also known as Aleem or Achakzai Plaza) in the Liaquat Bazaar area, the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) has called for immediate provincial and federal intervention. Senior Vice President Haji Akhtar Kakar met with affected traders on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, pledging the Chamber’s full support in securing compensation for their “billions of rupees” in losses.
Disaster Profile: The Haleem Plaza Blaze
- The Incident: A massive fire broke out around 4:30 AM on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
- The Scale: Over 120 shops (some reports suggest up to 200) were completely gutted.
- Economic Toll: Billion of rupees in electronics, mobile phones, shoes, and garments were reduced to ashes.
- The Cause: Initial investigations by the fire department point to a short circuit, which quickly escalated after a nearby electricity transformer and power cables caught fire.
Editorials:
The recent fire tragedies at Karachi’s Gul Plaza and Quetta’s Haleem Plaza are vivid reminders of Pakistan’s chronic urban infrastructure failures.
These incidents, which claimed dozens of lives and reduced hundreds of shops to ashes, were not mere accidents but… pic.twitter.com/600wIrzfz7
— Digital Debate (@DigDebate) January 22, 2026
QCCI’s “Emergency Level” Demands
Haji Akhtar Kakar, alongside a delegation of traders led by Seth Sher Bazai and Sardar Alam Zaib Tareen, expressed frustration over the lack of a formal government compensation package one week after the disaster.
- Direct Financial Grants: The QCCI is demanding “emergency-level” financial assistance for shopkeepers who have been pushed into severe financial crises.
- Safety Infrastructure Review: The Chamber noted that the lack of fire hydrants and narrow access roads in Liaquat Bazaar hampered the five-hour-long firefighting operation.
- Utility Oversight: QCCI urged WAPDA and the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation to conduct a thorough safety inspection of commercial plazas to prevent a repeat of this tragedy.
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A Mirror to the Gul Plaza Tragedy
The fire in Quetta occurred just days after the deadly Gul Plaza blaze in Karachi, drawing sharp comparisons between the fire safety standards of Pakistan’s major commercial hubs.
| Feature | Haleem Plaza (Quetta) | Gul Plaza (Karachi) |
| Casualties | 0 (15 rescued) | 73 Dead, 49 Missing |
| Shops Destroyed | 120+ | ~1,200 |
| Govt Response | Aid requested; loss assessment ongoing. | Rs. 10m for heirs; Rs. 500k per trader. |
| Current Status | Building structurally suspect. | Building slated for demolition. |
Next Steps for Affected Traders
- Loss Documentation: QCCI has advised all shopkeepers to submit detailed inventories of their destroyed stock to the Chamber’s legal wing for the formal aid application.
- Meeting with CM: A meeting between QCCI leadership and the Balochistan Chief Minister is expected later this week to finalize a relief package.
- Safety Audit: The Quetta Metropolitan Corporation (QMC) will begin a mandatory fire safety audit of all plazas in the Liaquat Bazaar and Prince Road areas starting February 1.
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