Sindh traders issue ultimatum to end lockdown

Give PPP govt 48 hours to end lockdown

KARACHI: The Sindh Tajir Ittehad (STI) and All City Tajir Ittehad (ACTI) have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Sindh government, demanding that it end the smart lockdown or they would open shops and markets on MA Jinnah Road of their own volition.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, STI chairperson Jameel Paracha and ACTI president Sharjeel Goplani termed the suspension of business activities in selected areas of the city in the name of the smart lockdown as the Sindh government's "ugly joke."

They claimed that the lockdown notice issued by the government had named residential areas, but instead of sealing these neighbourhoods, the lockdown was only enforced in commercial areas.

Asking whether the novel coronavirus was present only at MA Jinnah Road, they added that shops located on inner streets were open as usual while those on the main roads had to shut down. "The government should remove the smart lockdown within 48 hours," demanded Paracha, adding that only a few specific localities should be closed after consultation with traders.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2020.