Karachi traders announce 'jail bharo' movement over COVID-19 restrictions

KARACHI: Traders in Karachi on Friday refused to accept the closure of businesses in the city by 8:00 pm amid the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and announced to launch the ‘jail bharo’ [fill the prisons] movement, ARY NEWS reported.

Addressing a joint presser, the representatives of Sindh Tajir Ittehad and All City Tajir Ittehad announced that they would not close their businesses from today. “Arrest us and put us behind the bar,” the defiant traders said while announcing the ‘jail bharo’ movement over being forced to accept the lockdown.

“Closing businesses at 8:00 pm will lead to an economic meltdown for the traders,” the representatives of traders said adding that they planned to recover their losses owing to the last year’s lockdown, however, fresh restrictions will further ruin their businesses.

They lamented that the Sindh government announced to waive-off taxes last year, however, rather than waiving it off, new taxes have been imposed since then.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh government on Wednesday announced a set of new restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus amid the third Covid-19 wave.

Read More: Covid-19 lockdown: CM Murad says Sindh to take its own decision if NCOC rejects its recommendation

According to a notification issued here on Wednesday, the provincial government imposed a complete ban on indoor/outdoor wedding ceremonies from April 6. It ordered that “all kinds of gatherings (indoor/outdoor) will be banned with immediate effect.”

“This will include all social, cultural, political, sports and other events,” the notification reads. It further reads that all markets, shopping malls and other businesses will work from 6am in the morning till 8pm.