The city is likely to face an acute shortage of fruits and vegetables as the traders at Karachi’s only wholesale vegetable market have decided to close down the market for an indefinite period in protest of a trader’s murder.
The fruit and vegetable supply is likely to remain suspended from Thursday (tomorrow), if the traders’ demands are not met by the authorities concerned.
The traders have demanded that the murderers of their colleague Babar Hayat be arrested by the law enforcement agencies.
In protest against the murder of Hayat and the frequent criminal activities in the Sabzi Mandi, the traders at the market have decided to shut down the market as a last resort to highlight the issues being faced by them.
At a meeting held at the Sabzi Mandi market committee office on Tuesday, jointly chaired by Traders Alliance Vice Chairman Asif Ahmed, Zahid Awan and Shah Jahan, it was decided to halt all trading activities at the market besides holding protest on the Karachi-Hyderabad superhighway.
The traders would observe a demonstration in front of the market on Wednesday while the markets and shops would be closed by the evening.
According to some traders at the market, the closure of Wholesale Vegetable and Fruit Market (popularly known as the Sabzi Mandi) would cease the supply of fruits and vegetables to over 18 million residents of Karachi, besides affecting other markets, distributors and growers.
Due to the closure of business and other criminal activities at the market, the traders have suffered millions of rupees so far.
The traders allege that the officials at Sachal and Sohrab Goth police stations are supporting the murderers and criminals in the affected area and a joint FIR should be registered against them.
Babar Hayat, 35, a trader at the Sabzi Mandi, was gunned down allegedly by some extortionists on April 20.
To protest the killing, the traders are only keeping their businesses partially opened.
The Sabzi Mandi in Karachi is the largest wholesale market in the country spread over 100 acres with three divisions including fruits, vegetables and onion and potato. The market feeds to the fruit and vegetable demands of the country’s biggest city apart from the exports.
The market receives a supply of nearly 800 trucks on a normal working day.
A one-day closure of business at the vegetable market is estimated to result in losses worth over Rs 180 million.
According to traders at the market, despite tall claims of the law enforcement agencies, they have been constantly receiving receipts from extortionists. The movement of criminals in the market has become a routine but no action is taken by the police or Rangers personnel.
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