Daily Times

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) president Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo on Friday appealed to the Sindh government to reconsider the lockdown decision.

FPCCI president said the country’s economic hub Karachi should not be completely shut down. He said industries should be allowed to open seven days a week. The lockdown decision will destroy the industry.

FPCCI president Mian Naser Hyatt Maggo expressed these views in response to the Sindh government’s decision to impose another immediate lockdown on Friday which will take effect from today till 8th August.

The complete lockdown decision was taken after a meeting of the coronavirus task force which was attended by provincial ministers, medical experts, and representatives of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Friday. Parliamentary leaders of political parties and Sindh Rangers DG were also invited to the Covid-19 task force meeting.

Opposing the Sindh government’s decision to impose lockdown, the FPCCI chief further said the only way to better deal with Covid-19 is to allow business activities with proper SOPs and vaccination.

With a strong reaction, Karachi Traders Action Committee, Anjuman-e-Tajiran Karachi, and three other organisations have also rejected the government’s decision to completely shut down the business activities.

Anjuman-e-Tajiran Karachi president Javed Shams said they categorically rejected decisions made without consulting traders. If the Sindh government cannot provide relief to the traders, it should not make decisions leading to economic catastrophe, Shams said. He said it doesn’t suit the government to constantly embroil traders in negotiations and announce a complete shutdown.

The Sindh government, however, had said that it does not care what the federation says and that the only immediate solution to bring down virus cases was a lockdown.