Daily Times

KARACHI: Although Traders have taken step back to open markets but, other traders and people want
strict lockdown.

The Karachi Electronic Dealers Association President Muahammad Rizwan claims to represent ten thousand electronics shops saying that the owners are not in a position to pay salaries amid zero sales.

“We can ensure social distancing and proper sanitization of our shops and workers.” said Rizwan

All Karachi Tajir Ittehad president Ateeq Mir said that it was forth time that traders had announced to open but failed adding that “Doing business by going against the state is not an easy as traders are taking”, he asserted

President of KATI Shaikh Umer Rehan said that we cannot go against Govt decision but now it is hard time and we all have to cooperate with government.

On one hand legislator in Sindh Assembly Shahzad Qureshi says that it was in everyone’s best interest to allow traders to go back to business if they strictly abide by SOPs.

On other hand intellectuals say that Government must impose a curfew-like lockdown in the province amid rising coronavirus cases, no worries about economic situation it will be dealt in future if we get success to beat Coronavirus.

During survey Daily times learnt that Karachiities do not agree to open Markets in this pandemic situation as per survey on social media 80% strongly support the Sindh Government decision not to open markets while only 20% are in favor of opening markets.

As many of residents against the decision saying that if one goes out so he may bring virus with him and that one can affect to his all family members.

“When the lockdown measures were being strictly observed the situation was much better,” adding that the alarming increase in new cases was due to the recent relaxation in lockdown measures.

Yesterday, Sindh Traders Alliance Chairman Jamil Ahmed Paracha addressing a press conference in Karachi along with many other traders’, Jamil Paracha said that traders have cooperated with the Sindh government amid pandemic by closing all markers for 28 days, but now the markets across Karachi would be opened from April 15 as lockdown had suffered a huge loss to traders. But later on traders took step back and decided not to open markets till lockdown being observed.

President of All City Tajir Ittehad Sharjeel Goplani said that let’s wait what govt does what small traders.

President Small Traders Mehmood Hamid said that traders are suffering asking that what government has done for us?
“The government will have to come forward to share the burden if they want to continue lockdown,” he said.

“If Government is to legally bind employers in the province not to retrench or terminate services of any employees during the shutdown so what GOvt has given us so that we may not do like this,” he asked

MQM former legislator said that sindh government is supposed to announce a strategy before implementing the lockdown but they didn’t do anything adding that Sindh government has been failed for not fulfilling a single promise it made at the time of the announcement of the lockdown.

According to federal government sectors are allowed to work in Lockdown such as Chemical plants, E-commerce for delivery, Software developing firms, Paper packaging firms, Cement fertilizer plants, Laundry, Nursing plant’s, Agriculture Product’s, Glass manufacturing, Animal hospitals, Export industries with Sop’s, Books and stationary shops and Construction industry with SoP’s.

Opening of shops of Electricians, Tailor, Mechanics and Barber’s etc will be decided by provincial govt as per the condition of the cases in the Provinces.