Businessmen want ‘no lockdown’

KARACHI: Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Siraj Kassam Teli and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan on Thursday rejected the extension in lockdown up to July 15, and urged the Sindh government to immediately revoke the relevant notification. The asked the Sindh government to allow all types of businesses to operate at full capacity, which was the only way to save the economy and businesses from total collapse.

Teli said various businesses, including restaurants, hotels, marriage halls, beauty parlours, cinema houses, business centres, sports facilities, and educational institutes, that have been closed for the past four months were now on the verge of collapse.

He stressed that the extension in lockdown should be immediately withdrawn and the administration should focus on implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs). KCCI president also cautioned that if the lockdown was not suspended immediately, many businesses would shut down forever, leading to chaos and unemployment.