KARACHI: Trade bodies have given a 72-hour ultimatum to the Sindh government to meet their nine demands, which were also part of a resolution passed by the traders on Tuesday. They have also threatened to close markets and stage protest sit-ins if their demands are not met.

The resolution was read out by representatives of the trade bodies during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday. One of the main demands was that business hours be extended to 8pm from the current 6pm.

Their other demands include one day closure during the week and curbing the powers of magistrates to seal shops and impose fines on traders.

Traders also asked the chief justice and the army chief to take notice of an attempt to “sabotage” trading and business activities in Karachi. They also urged the federal and Sindh governments to hold negotiations with the traders before taking any decision.

MQM-P promises to take up Karachi businessmen’s issues with PM, NCOC

While seeking the opening of wedding halls, bachat bazaars, hotels and beauty parlours, the traders also called upon the government to provide relief in the new budget to avert the negative impact of Covid-19 on trade.

They also demanded setting up of a cell for submitting complaints against police excesses. The government should hold talks with the traders in case it is making any further strategy for curbing Covid-19 cases.

They said many traders, who had suffered huge losses last year, were now forced to sell their gold ornaments and properties to make up for the losses.

President of the All-City Tajir Ittehad Association (ACTIA) Sharjeel Gopalani said: “Our ultimatum will expire on Friday and after 2pm, traders will implement their future course of action if their demands remain unfulfilled.”

He said he had written letters to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on June 1 about the serious financial crisis being faced by the traders and shopkeepers due to the shortened trading hours, from 6am to 6pm, and two days’ closure in a week.

He informed the PM and the Sindh CM that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) always contacted traders of Islamabad but it ignored the Karachi traders.

Mr Gopalani said he could not understand why the trading community of Karachi was being sidelined though Karachi provided Rs8 billion per day in taxes to the national treasury while the city recorded daily trade of Rs27bn.

 MQM-P’s assurances 

After the press conference at the KPC, representatives of the All-Karachi Tajir Ittehad, ACTIA, Karachi Electronic Dealers Association (KEDA) and other trade bodies also jointly held a press briefing with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Aamir Khan and Wasim Akhtar to seek political support for the trading community who are under heavy stress owing to the huge losses incurred on account of the shorter business hours.

The MQM-P representatives said that Karachi had been left at the mercy of dacoits and corrupt elements. The role of the state is tantamount to the role of a mother, but the city had been handed over to the “oppressive regime” of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

They said Karachi had always been famous for paying more, but currently the city was being pushed into a situation where it kept begging for its rights.

They added: “The MQM-Pakistan fully supports traders’ demands which also include governor’s rule.”

“There is no need for ... any conspiracy theory to destroy and weaken any country ... for this purpose the corrupt PPP government is enough. Instead of putting traders’ demands before the PPP government, we will take up the issue of traders before the PM and the NCOC to save Karachi from complete destruction,” the MQM-P representatives said, adding that 14 MNAs belonged to Karachi but they were unable to save the city.

They demanded that the government declare Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas as calamity-hit areas besides exempting these cities from paying utility bills and taxes.

They said they had submitted a resolution in the Sindh Assembly regarding the hostile attitude of the provincial government against the traders and the same would be submitted in the National Assembly tomorrow.

President of the All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Atiq Mir said that the MQM-P had assured the traders of taking up their grievances with the prime minister and the NCOC.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2021