Karachi traders to hold hunger strike today, Seek increase in business hours to 10pm

KARACHI: Karachi’s Tajir Action Committee will hold a hunger strike at MA Jinnah Road today (Thursday) against the Sindh government’s restrictions of business hours as a precautionary measure to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The hunger strike will be held by the traders of Karachi and Hyderabad city. Traders said the provincial government is holding dual policies for traders in Sindh. They said there’s another policy for the traders of Karachi and Hyderabad as strict COVID-19 restrictions have been imposed on them, while the traders of interior Sindh are not facing strict restrictions.

The traders demanded not only to increase their business hours to 10pm in both the cities, but also allow indoor dining in all the restaurants throughout the city and also allow indoor weddings for vaccinated people. The traders threatened that they would extend their protest if the provincial government didn’t accept their demands.

Convener of Karachi Tajir Action Committee Rizwan Irfan, who is also the president of Saddar Karachi Electronics Dealers Association, said that according to government estimates, more than 44 percent of the city’s population has been vaccinated. Despite this, he said, limiting trading timing to only 8pm in the city is nothing but sheer injustice.

Citing the government estimates, he said that in the District South alone 84 percent of the population has been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Deputy Convener of Karachi Tajir Action Committee Sharjeel Goplani said that the provincial government must declare only one day holiday for traders in Karachi as it is in interior Sindh.

The association’s another Deputy Convener Jameel Paracha demanded that the provincial government should immediately allow indoor dining in all the restaurants throughout the city. Karachi Tajir Action Committee’s Waqas Azeem said the Sindh government should also allow wedding halls and banquets to hold indoor marriages immediately.