KARACHI: Industrial production and business activity in Karachi remained dull through Friday in the absence of public transport as the city mourned the assassination of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Imran Farooq in London on Thursday night.
The five major industrial associations of the city were either partially or completely impacted by the absence of workers unable to reach their factories. On the other hand, traders’ representatives had announced a day of mourning on Thursday night, as soon as news of the murder broke in the city.
Korangi Association of Trade and Industry chairman Razzak Hashim Paracha said that the attendance of workers remained at 50 per cent in the industrial zone. “By and large it was a partial shutdown on Friday,” said Paracha. Some industries and transport services remained closed in anticipation of violence, he added.
“Some 20 to 25 per cent of export orders could not be met due to the unavailability of containers and closure of port routes,” explained Saleem Parekh, chairman of the SITE Association of Trade and Industry. He said that industrial production of one of the largest industrial zones of the country was also cut by half due the low attendance of workers.
As the city remained tense during the day, labourers left factories early. “This will also affect Saturday’s production,” he explained.
“Our industrial zone lies in the middle of the city so we cannot expect our workers to come to work when public transport is unavailable,” highlighted the chairman of North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry, Sadiq Muhammad.
“We, as industrialists, condemn the murder of the MQM leader but if this mourning continues in the days ahead, we will suffer a lot because we will not be able to ship the goods we export,” he concluded.
Similarly, Shahid Ismail, Chairman Federal B Area Association of Trade and Industry said that attendance remained low as public transport was inactive. The Federal B Area Industrial Zone is also located in one of the most sensitive areas of the city where industries need to react immediately to any form of unusual situation. “Our industry to industry transportation was also affected on Friday as raw materials and finished goods were not transported from one industry to another,” Ismail said.
Of trade and retail
Chairman of the Traders Action Committee, Siddiq Memon, said that business and trading activities were completely restricted as traders decided to join in mourning with the MQM leadership. Small and large markets in Karachi remained closed on the appeal of leading traders to demonstrate respect for the political figure killed in cold blood outside the country, he said.
Many of the 84 shopping centres, 96 departmental stores and 650,000 shops in the city remained closed on Friday. We expect that the city will come back to normal soon and the markets will open from Saturday onwards, he added.
Atiq Mir, chairman of the Alliance of Market Association, said that the city was paralysed and no trade or business activity took place on Friday.
All traders voluntarily announced late Thursday night to remain closed on Friday without any orders from the government or non government authorities, he said, adding that the traders will talk to the MQM leadership and try to open all trading markets on Saturday.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2010.
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