Jodia Bazaar shuts down over flour price row

The country's largest wholesale grain market, Jodia Bazaar, will remain closed on Wednesday as traders announced a citywide protest against what they described as unfair action over flour prices, raising concerns that the nationwide supply of essential commodities could be affected.

Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association Chairman Rauf Ibrahim announced that besides Jodia Bazaar, wholesale grain markets in Lea Market, Dandia Bazaar, Nanak Wara, Landhi, Malir, Korangi and Liaquatabad would also remain closed in protest.

Ibrahim alleged that wholesale traders were being targeted through arrests, heavy fines and sealing of shops under the pretext of controlling flour prices, calling the measures unacceptable. He claimed that shopkeepers were being issued challans ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs150,000, but were not being provided official copies of the challans. Instead, he alleged, traders were being given Easypaisa numbers and instructed to deposit the money.