The Karachi traders on Wednesday demanded the federal government of imposing the governor’s rule in Sindh province. The Karachi-based traders made this demand while addressing a press conference in the port city.
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The Karachi trader association member Ilyas Memon also given a three-day ultimatum to the Sindh government for acceptance of their demands.
“Traders will stage a protest outside CM House if demands were not met in 72 hours,” he added.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) yesterday had asked the federal government to mull over the option of imposing governor’s rule in Sindh, ARY News reported on Tuesday.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, while addressing a press conference in Karachi, had said that he wants to ask the prime minister and the army chief what will happen after the revenue-generating city for the whole country go dependant on others.
Separately, MQM-P on Wednesday submitted a resolution in the National Assembly demanding to declare Karachi and Hyderabad as tax-free zone cities.
The resolution was submitted by MQM-P Convener and MNA Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in the Lower House.
“The government should declare Karachi and Hyderabad as calamity-hit areas besides exempting these cities from paying utility bills,” reads the resolution submitted by MQM-P leader.
PTI stands by traders
Lashing out at the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders said on Wednesday it seemed that the rulers of Sindh wanted to snatch the livelihoods of Karachi’s business community in the name of lockdown measures to control the spread of the coronavirus.
“But the PTI will not tolerate the excesses with Karachi’s traders’ community,” said opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh while meeting a delegation of traders’ leaders at his office in the assembly.
Prominent traders’ leaders, including Atiq Mir, Sharjeel Goplani, Jameel Piracha, Waqas Azam, Ahmed Shamsi, Abdul Majeed Noorani, Taib Siddiqui, Abdul Khaliq, Shahid Mandia, Muhammad Arif and Muhammad Aslam Arain, were part of the delegation.
PTI Karachi president Khurram Sherzaman, MPAs Raja Azhar, Shahnawaz Jadoon and PTI leader Naeem Adil Sheikh were present in the meeting. They criticised the “brutal” lockdown of the Sindh government and said the economy of Karachi was being destroyed and its destruction would have dire consequences for the national economy.
Read More: MQM: Existential Crisis or Cross Roads into the Unknown?
Showing complete solidarity with the traders, Sheikh said that after 6pm, police and district administration started their own lockdown and heavily find traders for opening shops. “From now, if anyone harasses a trader, we will break his legs,” he warned. “Like fake bank accounts, now fake fine challans are made. It would be seen if this looted money goes to the CM House or the Bilawal House.”