Karachi: Due to the slump in business, the Sindh government’s move to lock down the city on Tuesday after the visit of the Iranian president has angered traders. The government declared Tuesday a provincial holiday to avoid public trouble, but traders saw the lockdown as an unwelcome move.
In the city centre, the Saddar mall and electronic market on MA Jinnah Road have been closed. But, he said the restaurant is open.
Jodia Bazaar, Sarafa and clothing stores in the old city are partially open, but business is slow, he said.
Traders have expressed their displeasure over the city’s lockdown, which they have blamed for huge financial losses. “Closing business is $3.5 billion per day,” said Sindh Tajir Ittehad chief.
He said that the local government has closed the main roads of the metropolis, which is causing inconvenience to the people because they cannot reach the planned areas.
Roads in the heart of the city like MA Jinnah Road, Shahra-e-Kuaideen and Shahra-e-Faisal were blocked by shipping containers, creating panic among the people, he said, resulting in reduced sales.
“Our request to the government is to exclude businesses from the worst schemes,” Jamil said.
In such cases, he said, the federal government’s “trader-friendly” tax policy would be ineffective.
The government said it had failed to come up with a clear timetable and schedule to inform the public and traders how long the ban would remain in place during the day.
Karachi faced PKR 3b loss due to one-day business closure
