• JI and traders’ protest call draws mixed response in upper Sindh
• ‘Successful’ strike over rising price hike, inflated electricity bills termed verdict of people against ruling elite

KARACHI: Business and commercial activities remained largely closed in Karachi and other cities and towns of the province, especially in lower Sindh, on Saturday and public transport stayed off the road on the day of a shutter-down strike called by the Jamaat-i-Islami against inflated power bills and growing inflation in the country.

However, most cities in upper Sindh remained unaffected from the strike call.

The strike call was supported by several traders’ bodies and business associations across the country.

Karachi witnessed the second consecutive shutdown in as many days as only on Friday the city traders kept their businesses closed in protest against the inflated electricity bills on the call of business community leaders.

Unlike Friday’s shutdown, the fresh call affected industrial activities as well and kept private and public transport mostly off the road.

In the afternoon, some commercial centres and shops were seen open in different parts of the metropolis.

Both business leaders and the JI claimed it to be a ‘success’ and described the strike as the reflection of public sentiment.

JI leader thanks Karachiites

The JI Karachi chief, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, ‘thanked’ the people of the city for ‘overwhelmingly responding’ and ‘rejecting’ all those elements who were ‘conspiring’ against the peaceful strike call.

He also warned that the reaction of Karachiites on his party’s call against the inflated bills and growing inflation was just a beginning of a “wave of change and peaceful resistance” from the business capital.

“Today’s successful strike is a verdict against the ruling elite, which reflects the public sentiment,” he said while talking to reporters in Mowach Goth where he visited the family of the four-year-old girl who had died after falling into an open manhole earlier this week.

“The people across Pakistan are in a painful situation because of the growing inflation, inflated electricity bills, and rising petroleum prices. How unfortunate it is that a caretaker prime minister is saying that the situation doesn’t merit a strike. I warn the caretaker PM not to voice the narrative of the PDM government.”

Business community

Calling it a successful strike, Atiq Mir, chairman of the All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (AKTI), said the shutdown in fact showed anger and frustration among the people against the inflated electricity bills and the overall surge in inflation.

“We announced our plan for strike on Friday and Saturday almost a week ago. The government decision to increase petroleum prices only two days ago further built the momentum and attracted a strong reaction from the people,” he said.

He added that the government was misleading the people when it claimed that the demand of relief could put its effort of economic revival in jeopardy and referring to tough conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“We never asked to seek any concession from the IMF,” he said. “We only demand to justify the taxes you are levying on lower and poor income classes. How one can justify the income and sales tax on an electricity bill of a domestic consumer? How can you charge sales tax and income tax from a family for using electricity? Is it justifiable? Enough is enough. The government must review its policies. Otherwise, the anger among the people could turn from bad to worse.”

Strike in other cities

An effective dawn-to-dusk strike was observed in Hyderabad while business activities in Jacobabad also remained suspended. However, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur and Ghotki remained unaffected from the strike call.

In Jacobabad, JI workers took out a rally from the party office and marched through different roads. They gathered outside the Jacobabad Press Club where they staged a sit-in in protest.

Local leaders of the party while addressing the sit-in said that the growing inflation due to higher prices of food, petroleum and electricity had badly affected the life of a common man.

In Thatta, all business activities remained closed.

In Hyderabad, all main commercial centres, bazaars and markets remained almost completely closed.

Fakir Ka Pir, Resham Bazaar, Cantonment shopping and district council shopping centres, Phulelli Bazaar, Paretabad, Shahi Bazaar, Chotki Ghitti, City Cloth Market, Prince Ali road, Timber Market, Anaj Mandi, and Latifabad’s unit 8 market remained completely shut.

Few shops were found open in Latifabad unit-7 area.

Partial strike was observed in Mirpurkhas where major business centres like Cloth Market, Hilal Market, Municipal Shopping Centre, Police Line Market, Jameel Shaheed Road, M.A. Jinnah Road, Khisak Pura and Anaj Mandi remained completely closed.

Traffic was thin in the city as most of the transport remained off the road.

Responding to the JI call, a partial strike was observed in Larkana as large portions of the city remained closed.

The JI along with Grand Democratic Alliance and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf also took out a rally from Pakistan Chowk to register their protest and stage a sit-in outside Jinnah Bagh Gate.

Addressing the sit-in, the leaders criticised rulers for bowing before the IMF and agreeing to their tough terms which had made peoples’ life miserable.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2023