Disrupted supply: Trade activities in twin cities remain sluggish

Shortage of supply and customers keep trading low, though apprehensions about shortages loom

ISLAMABAD: With roads leading to Islamabad blocked ahead of the impending November 2 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protest, trade activities at wholesale markets of the twin cities have slowed to a crawl.

Transporters are staying away from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, fearing that their trucks and loaded containers may be impounded by the police to block city entry and exit points.

“Currently, there is no shortage of daily use items because customers from Hazara Division, Azad Kashmir and Potohar region are not visiting the wholesale markets in Rawalpindi in the wake of recent developments,” Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Raja Amer Iqbal told The Express Tribune on Monday.

He, however, expressed concern over the near complete halt of supplies coming into the twin cities and the related business losses for traders.



Iqbal warned that if the situation prevailed for the next few days, it could lead to a severe shortage of food and other items, not only in the twin cities, but also Potohar, Kashmir and Hazara Division.

The RCCI chief said that traders in Rawalpindi and Islamabad always suffer, whether it was opposition parties locking down the capital, or the government blocking roads as a pre-emptive move to stop the protest.

“The government and opposition parties should resolve their political issues amicably and according to the decision of the Islamabad High Court,” Iqbal said. He slammed the media for creating a panic among customers by portraying a tense situation in the twin cities.

On Sunday, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Khalid Iqbal Malik had said that owing to the recent political developments in the capital, transporters were staying away from Islamabad, disrupting the supply chain of goods to markets.

He said that some imported goods had been halted at Karachi Port since shipping containers were being impounded, causing business activities to suffer.

He urged the government to ensure uninterrupted supply of goods to markets and business centres.

“So far no road in the limits of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are blocked, and all business and other activities are being carried out without any problem,”
said Shahid Khan, a grocer at Peshawar Mor.

He told The Express Tribune that some big wholesalers were taking advantage of the situation and were hoarding items such as sugar and pulses while blaming supply disruptions.

He added that this somewhat artificial shortage had caused the price of a 50kg bag of sugar to jump by Rs800 from Rs3,200 a few days ago to Rs4,000 on Monday.

Mian Siddique Quraishi, a grain wholesaler in Raja Bazaar, said that most wholesalers have around six to 10 days of supplies in stock. He added that there was no immediate threat of shortages as regular customers from other parts of the region are not visiting the city to purchase goods.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2016.