KARACHI: The All City Tajir Ittehad (ACTI) on Tuesday deferred its plan to open markets for two days after getting assurances from Karachi commissioner and top police officials.

The ACTI, along with other trade representatives in a press conference held at Timber Market on Monday afternoon announced their decision to open markets from April 15 between 9am to 5pm.

ACTI Chairman Sharjeel Goplani said that soon after the call, Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon and Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shalwani requested the association to defer the decision for two days.

He said that top government officials assured the ACTI that standard operating procedures (SoPs) are being finalised with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah before allowing shops to reopen which had been shut for the last 28 days in order to control rising cases of coronavirus.

He said the financial health of small traders has become very weak as they are unable to pay salaries to their workers due to zero sales.

Pakistan Chemicals and Dyes Merchants Association Chairman Amin Yousuf Balgamwala also urged CM Sindh to finalise SOPs for prevention of Covid-19 pandemic so they can resume business activities at the earliest.

On the contrary, the All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir said “all the markets will remain shut on April 15 as traders cannot afford to lose their lives and revolt against the government.”

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2020