HYDERABAD: Fruit and vegetable traders have claimed that police are forcibly stopping their vehicles from reaching the old Sabzi Mandi in violation of the relevant order of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench.

On May 18, a division bench of the SHC, Hyderabad circuit, had allowed petitioner traders to continue with their businesses at the old Sabzi Mandi in the city. The order said that no coercive measure be taken against the petitioners who wanted to operate their businesses at the site. The order was passed in multiple petitions challenging shifting of the Sabzi Mandi to a new site.

According to Asif Arain, the convener of the action committee of the Wholesale Fruits and Vegetable Merchant Commission Agents, the SITE police prevented vegetable and fruit consignments from reaching the old Sabzi Mandi site on Wednesday and Thursday.

He said he along with the committee’s deputy convener Abdul Rehman Arain called on the Hyderabad SSP and produced a copy of SHC’s May 18 order. He said the SSP himself was present in court when the order was passed.

Mr Arain said the traders were being victimised even after the high court issued a clear order.

“If 2,000 traders have been allotted spaces in the new Sabzi Mandi [located off Akram Wah, a lined channel] why they are not asked to move to the new site? And why we are being harassed in spite of Sindh High Court’s order to continue our trade at the old Sabzi Mandi site?”, he asked.

Mr Arain has also submitted application with Hyderabad Commissioner Abbas Baloch urging him to stop officials from harassing traders and violating the court’s May 18 order.

When contacted, Hyderabad SSP Salam Shaikh told Dawn that traders did meet him today (Thursday) with the complaint. He said police had not been given any directive to disturb trade at the old Sabzi Mandi. He said the Hali Road police station had been asked to follow the court order.

The fruit and vegetable traders of the old Sabzi Mandi have been fighting their case in the high court ever since the administration decided to shift the mandi to its new location. The administration had attempted to accelerate the pace of shifting in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic last year but it could not continue with the process because of the litigation. The traders accuse the market committee concerned of manipulation and having made double allotments at the new site.

Secondly, they claim that the infrastructure at the new site is not developed properly. The high court bench in its May 18 order also emphasised the need for developing the remaining infrastructure within three months.

The order said that the principal auction would take place at new Sabzi Mandi.

The civil administration had tried to forcibly divert fruit and vegetable consignment to the new site last year as well. It had somehow got auction started there. The affected traders then formed their action committee to protect their interests.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2021