SUKKUR: Traders, shopkeepers and stall-holders doing their businesses using around 1,700 spaces allotted to them by the Sukkur Municipal Corporation (SMC) observed a complete strike and held a demonstration on Thursday against the municipality’s decision to re-auction the properties.

The re-auction was ordered by the Sindh High Court and the SMC had recently placed an ad in newspapers in this regard. However, the date has been advanced “to avoid violation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs)” prescribed by government to control Covid-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, the high court hearing a petition filed by Atif Khoso through his lawyer Advocate Sohail Khoso took notice of postponing the re-auction and ordered Administrator Nisar Memon and Municipal Commissioner Mohammad Ali Baloch to appear in person before it and explain their position.

The SHC Sukkur bench comprises Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar and Justice Mehmood A. Khan.

The protesting traders, shopkeepers and stall-holders assembled at Clock Tower intersection where their leaders Mumtaz Lakki, Haji Shams-ur-Rehman, Haji Haroon Memon and others spoke to them.

The petitioner submitted in court that the re-auction was deferred on the pretext of fear that it could result in the breach of the SOPs, calling for social distancing. He argued that such gatherings were being held everywhere without violating the SOPs. Even political meetings were being held, he argued.

They strongly opposed the re-auction move saying that the SMC obtained the order after “misleading” the high court. They termed it a conspiracy to dislodge hundreds of traders, shopkeepers and stall-holders from their business places on SMC-owned properties. Members of the Victoria Market Association, Ghanta Ghar Shopkeepers Union, Clock Tower Market Association, Mehran Markaz Union, Minara Market Union, Baldia Complex and others organisations took part in the demonstration.

They said they had been paying the rent of their business spaces regularly and never resisted SMC’s decision whenever it intended to effect an increase. In this context, the re-auction was unjustifiable and unfair, they said.

They apprehended that the aim of re-auction was to dislodge them from their business places which, they claimed, had been in their possession for around 60 years.

Municipal Commissioner Moham­mad Ali Baloch, on his part, said that the re-auction was being held as per the SHC order. Regarding the petition against postponing the re-auction, he explained that the SMC intended to hold separate re-auction for different categories of its properties in order to ensure observance of social distancing.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2020