The small traders and business community of the country’s financial hub have braved over Rs 3 billion losses on Saturday amid their strike call against increasing number of extortion in the city.
As the city’s all markets, shops, retail and wholesale outlets remained closed entirely on March 17, the businessmen have estimated to face billions of rupees losses which they beard to launch their protest against the alarming situation of extortion.
The strike observed by traders with the support of transporters, and some political parties, paralyzed the routine and social life of Karachi on Saturday. The ever increasing incidents of target killings, extortion and violence have, apart from the routine life, badly affected the city’s business as the people are not ready to take risk of shopping when their lives are insecure.
While the inflation has already cut down the spending on routine spending, the fear of loss of life and valuables in shopping centers, streets and roads the people are reluctant to come out of their houses thus affecting the traders. Talking to Pakistan Today, Atiq Mir, Chairman All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (traders’ alliance) said that the extortion, number of which has been multiplied this year, has also forced many markets to keep their shops closed as in case of failure to fulfill the demands of the unknown extortionists there was of risk for both life and valuables.
“It seams that the government and law enforcement agencies have given a free hand to the extortionists as they are openly doing their illegal practices across the city,” he said adding that how the traders, who have already faced huge losses under the present law and order situation, could pay huge amount to these groups. The extortion is not confined to the city’s old and busy markets but it has also spread to the whole markets, industrial areas of the megapolis. He said that traders complain, the extortionist were distributing the slips demanding as per the worth and business of any shopkeeper ranging from Rs 20000 to Rs 100000. He said the traders have given a 72 hours’ ultimatum to government to control the criminal activities in the city otherwise the traders would launch a countrywide strike. As traders across the country have assured to observe the strike with businessmen of Karachi, a countrywide strike was on the cards if things were not improved during next three days.
All those who live in Karachi, or have lived there, know that it was the MQM which organized armed gangs within its party, most of them involved in street crimes, target killings and kidnapping for ransom. Shopkeepers and traders were forced to pay chanda otherwise they were threatened with dire consequences. Now that others have joinded this lucrative business, they are not happy and this battle for turf has ensued. Daily bhatta in Karachi is in the range of over Rs10Crores and this is big business. This is why Karachi is the most dangerous city in Asia
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