'Ready to fill jails': Karachi traders announce extending business hours till 8 pm

KARACHI: The Karachi traders have announced the resumption of business activities till 8:00 pm from Saturday (tomorrow), defying the Sindh government’s closure orders for markets till 6:00 pm, ARY News reported on Friday.

In order to record protest against the Sindh government’s closure orders, the traders in Karachi have decided to confront the business restrictions by announcing to open markets and shops till 8:00 pm from tomorrow.

The announcement was made by Karachi Traders Action Committee, a new alliance of all traders associations that is formed to make collective efforts against restrictions on business activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also announced to hold protests on roads and streets if the administration and police teams would attempt to mishandle any trader or seal the market. The traders said in a statement that they are ready to fill the jails if the provincial government go for making arrests but the shops will be opened till 8:00 pm.

Read: Karachi traders demand governor’s rule in Sindh

The Karachi Tajir Action Committee further announced that it will soon decide for closing markets and shops only one day a week. After the formation of the new alliance, the traders took the oath to obey the decisions of the alliance.

Rizwan Irfan has been appointed as the convenor of KTAC while Jameel Paracha, Atiq Mir, Sharjeel Goplani, Hakeem Shah, Waqas Azeem, Rana Raees were named as deputy convenors.

The newly-formed KTAC will represent associations of markets, shopping malls, wedding halls, hotels,  banquets and others.

Earlier, the trader associations in the port city had given the Sindh government a 72-hour deadline to heed their demands of easing restrictions and end their plight as the monetary crisis has cropped up for them in the midst of stricter Covid-led lockdowns.

The traders had demanded the Sindh government extend business hours up to two more hours amid ongoing restrictions due to the COVID-19 lockdown.