KARACHI: Buyers are staying away from markets after elections, with traders maintaining that sit-ins on various main arteries and uncertainty over re-polling in NA-250 have dampened their sales.

Traders were expecting some improvement in their daily sales after the May 11 general elections. However, they said that sit-in by workers of some political parties and issue of re-polling in NA-250 had marred trading activities, besides shaking the confidence of buyers who still feel terrified in moving freely in the markets.

The pre-election bomb blasts and killing of many people had also forced buyers to stay away from shopping.

“Only those people have been coming to the markets who had some immediate functions, usually wedding related, and other ceremonies,” traders maintained.

President Bohri Bazar Merchants Association Mansoor Jack said people were not coming as ‘fear still looms’.

He added that sales were not extra ordinary prior to the elections either.

President All Karachi Tajir Itehad Atiq Mir said: “The way Karachi Stock Exchange reacted positively after heavy mandate received by political parties, traders too anticipated rush of buyers and bullish trend in the markets after the polls. Unfortunately, the markets had been facing depressed business scenario.”

He said that only 20-25 per cent trading had been recorded for the last two days.

“Besides, traders are literally upset now fearing reversal of an old five year political set up or government in Sindh in coming days,” he said.

Traders and general public still have bad memories of the last five years filled with target killing, street crimes, deteriorating law and order situation, kidnapping for ransom, extortion slips etc.

He said the city still looked tense which ‘is evident from the stalled movement of general public’.

General Secretary Madina City Mall Welfare Association (MCMWA) Babar Shahzad said, “The markets will continue to see dull trading till the government is not formed.”

He said law and order situation ahead of general elections had terrified people not to take risk of visiting the markets. “There is hardly 20pc trading after the elections,” he added.

President Tariq Road Traders Welfare Association Himesh Gul said: “Only 20pc business volume exists as people prefer staying at home.”

President Supreme Council of Traders Imran Saeed Baghpati said that poor business environment prevailed after the elections owing to low presence of buyers in the markets. As a result, only 12-15pc sales were registered in the last two days. He added many traders in the markets were pulling down their shutters much ahead of their normal closure timing.

It has also been noticed that people also slow down their movement when CNG stations observe closure two days in a week.

Grocery: Chairman Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA), Anis Majeed said that trading in wholesale market (Dandia Bazar), the hub of essential food items, had remained normal during pre and post-election phases.

He hoped that the PML-N would implement its party’s manifesto and focus on core issues – law and order and energy crisis.

Even in retail commodity markets were also facing dearth of buyers as General Secretary Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG) Farid Qureishi said a number of people had already lifted grocery items as per their disposable income fearing of any uncertain law and order situation during and post election. Even the rates of commodities had not moved up or down after elections, he added.