KARACHI – The city markets would remain closed today as All Karachi Tajir Itehad (AKTI) has announced a strike against extortionists in the city. Surprisingly, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) which earlier had announced a strike call has withdrawn its decision and announced that the market would remain open today.
A rift between the Karachi two leading trade-bodies has surfaced as AKTI which earlier had not supported KCCI’s call for strike, has now decided to keep the markets closed. Talking to Pakistan Today, chairman of AKTI Atiq Mir said that the KCCI had convinced them to support the strike, and now when they are ready, they withdrew the call.
He said that despite the KCCI’s decision to keep markets open, the traders affiliated with the AKTI would observe the strike. He said that his organisation wanted to get their protest registered against the rising cases of extortion from traders by mafias and the worsening law and order situation in Karachi.
He blamed the KCCI of taking a U-turn adding that it was the high ups in the Chamber who called the strike without the taking the committees concerned onboard. However, Muhammad Saeed Shafiq, president of KCCI, said that they had not called off the strike and they just postponed it till April 12, to give more time to the government.
Talking about AKTI’s call for a markets’ shutdown, he said, their decision was not justified as almost 90 to 95 percent traders were backing KCCI and endorsing its decision. Meanwhile, the KCCI has decided to hold a peaceful protest demonstration on April 5 from 03:00 pm to 07:00 pm at Polo Ground against worsening law and order situation in Karachi.
During a press conference at the Chamber on Monday, Siraj Qasim Teli, former president KCCI said that the traders were facing immense problems due to poor law and order in the metropolitan. He said the criminal activities are increasing day by day including killings and kidnappings of traders and their harassment by ‘extortionist mafia’.
He said KCCI due to the political pressure; the police were not taking action against criminal elements, in the city. He further demanded issuing weapon licenses to the industrialists and traders.
He warned the government that the traders of Karachi would go on shutter down strike for infinite period after April 12 if the government failed to meet their demands. Teli was accompanied by Majeed Aziz, Haroon Farooqui, Maqsood Ismial, Mohammad Zubair Motiwala, Tahir Khaliq and other traders.
