KARACHI: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has demanded the Sindh government to ease restrictions imposed related to business hours for markets and commercial activities.
Chairman Businessmen Group Zubair Motiwala and President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Shariq Vohra have appealed to the Sindh Government to have mercy on perturbed small traders, shopkeepers, and restaurant businesses who must be allowed to keep their business activities operational throughout the week from Monday to Saturday without any closure on Friday whereas the business timings must also be extended till 10:00 PM.
Expressing deep concerns over an ongoing sit-in and hunger strike by shopkeepers and small traders along with owners of restaurants and marriage halls, Zubair Motiwala and Shariq Vohra requested the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Local Government Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister for Information Saeed Ghani and Minister for Industries Jam Ikramullah Khan Dharejo to intervene in this matter and issue directives to ease the curbs on local businesses in Karachi otherwise many businesses, who are at the verge of complete collapse and bankruptcy, would vanish forever.
Millions of people associated with all these businesses would die themselves due to mental torture, hunger, poverty, and joblessness instead of dying because of the pandemic, they cautioned.
They pointed out that there was a clear disparity going on as the businesses in Punjab, other parts of the country and even in other cities all over Sindh excluding Karachi and Hyderabad have been allowed to stay operational throughout the week and up to 10:00 PM which has triggered a sense of deprivation amongst the business community of Karachi and Hyderabad.
They said that associations of commercial markets from all over the city have been constantly approaching KCCI so that the Chamber, being the premier and actual representative of the entire business community, could play its role by convincing the Sindh government to allow businesses to keep on operating throughout the week except Sundays.
Meanwhile, they have also assured that all shopkeepers and their staff have got themselves vaccinated and they were also prepared to fully comply with all the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) notified by the government.
Keeping in view the overall situation and grievances suffered by small traders and shopkeepers in an extraordinary situation, Zubair Motiwala and Shariq Vohra hoped that the Sindh government, which has always played the lead role in efficiently rescuing the public from time to time, would provide the desperately needed relief to local businesses this time as well by relaxing the curbs and allowing the businesses to operate from Monday to Saturday up to 10:00 PM so that they could be saved from further disaster.
