Short supply: No food or fuel as city remains shut
Traders still unclear if businesses, petrol pumps will open on Thursday.
Most petrol pumps and CNG stations in the city remained closed on Wednesday. The few that were open, such as the one above near Governor House, saw long queues of cars, rickshaws and motorcycles. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
The supplies of food and fuel were severely affected as the city remained shut yet another day after the arrest of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain over allegations of money laundering in London.
The daily supply of fruits, vegetables, milk and meat failed to reach the retail outlets. The New Sabzi Mandi located on Super Highway did not receive 40 per cent of the total supply of fruits and vegetables on Wednesday morning, said the chairperson of the market alliance, Haji Syed Abdul Razzak.
The contractors and farmers diverted the fruits and vegetables to other cities after Karachi shut down, he added. "We could not supply our products to the city's shops and the little that we received was sold out at low prices," said Razzak. "Even on Thursday, we would get hardly 40 per cent of our routine supply due to the uncertainty." He estimated the market suffered millions of rupees in losses with just one day of closure.
Similarly, the Landhi Cattle Colony, which is the largest government-run slaughterhouse in the city, was also unable to supply meat. "The slaughterhouses opened but people usually avoid slaughtering their animals when the law and order situation is unpredictable," said Dr Ashfaq Ali, the director of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's veterinary services. The milk supply to a majority of milk shops took place but most shops were unable to open for business, said Faisal Qureshi, a milk seller in Gulberg.
A delegation of the city traders met the MQM leadership at Numaish Chowrangi to show solidarity. "All the markets remained completely closed today [Wednesday] and we have yet to decide whether or not to run businesses on Thursday," said Sindh Tajir Ittehad chairperson Jameel Paracha.
All banks in the city also remained closed on Wednesday even though the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) did not announce an official holiday. It has become sort of a trend in Karachi and Hyderabad to keep banks closed in such a situation, said the SBP spokesperson, Khubaib Usmani. Several residents were unable to pay their utility bills as a result.
Those areas that suffered power breakdowns and cable faults in Nazimabad, Federal B Area, Liaquatabad, North Karachi and parts of Orangi and Korangi also suffered as the K-Electric technical staff was unable to reach. The utility sent out text messages to its customers seeking apology for failing to provide a response to their complaints. The K-Electric spokesperson confirmed that the company will extend the bills deadline for those whose bills were due on Wednesday.
The transporters kept their vehicles off the roads and the oil tankers failed to deliver their daily supply of petrol. Since the petrol pumps have been closed two days in a row, the commuters must brace for the worst. Except for a few fuel stations in Clifton, DHA, Super Highway and SITE, all the stations in the rest of the city remained closed throughout Wednesday. Even the ones which opened in the morning on Wednesday ran dry as the day progressed.
"We are not receiving the products as the oil tankers' supply service has been closed since Tuesday," complained the CNG Dealers Association chairperson, Abdul Sami Khan. Despite the fact that the Sui Southern Gas Company supplied gas to the CNG stations of Karachi, the stations were unable to open. "We have spoken to the gas utility and they will supply us more gas on Thursday," he said, adding that they are still unsure if the pumps will open then.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2014.
The supplies of food and fuel were severely affected as the city remained shut yet another day after the arrest of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain over allegations of money laundering in London.
The daily supply of fruits, vegetables, milk and meat failed to reach the retail outlets. The New Sabzi Mandi located on Super Highway did not receive 40 per cent of the total supply of fruits and vegetables on Wednesday morning, said the chairperson of the market alliance, Haji Syed Abdul Razzak.
The contractors and farmers diverted the fruits and vegetables to other cities after Karachi shut down, he added. "We could not supply our products to the city's shops and the little that we received was sold out at low prices," said Razzak. "Even on Thursday, we would get hardly 40 per cent of our routine supply due to the uncertainty." He estimated the market suffered millions of rupees in losses with just one day of closure.
Similarly, the Landhi Cattle Colony, which is the largest government-run slaughterhouse in the city, was also unable to supply meat. "The slaughterhouses opened but people usually avoid slaughtering their animals when the law and order situation is unpredictable," said Dr Ashfaq Ali, the director of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's veterinary services. The milk supply to a majority of milk shops took place but most shops were unable to open for business, said Faisal Qureshi, a milk seller in Gulberg.
A delegation of the city traders met the MQM leadership at Numaish Chowrangi to show solidarity. "All the markets remained completely closed today [Wednesday] and we have yet to decide whether or not to run businesses on Thursday," said Sindh Tajir Ittehad chairperson Jameel Paracha.
All banks in the city also remained closed on Wednesday even though the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) did not announce an official holiday. It has become sort of a trend in Karachi and Hyderabad to keep banks closed in such a situation, said the SBP spokesperson, Khubaib Usmani. Several residents were unable to pay their utility bills as a result.
Those areas that suffered power breakdowns and cable faults in Nazimabad, Federal B Area, Liaquatabad, North Karachi and parts of Orangi and Korangi also suffered as the K-Electric technical staff was unable to reach. The utility sent out text messages to its customers seeking apology for failing to provide a response to their complaints. The K-Electric spokesperson confirmed that the company will extend the bills deadline for those whose bills were due on Wednesday.
The transporters kept their vehicles off the roads and the oil tankers failed to deliver their daily supply of petrol. Since the petrol pumps have been closed two days in a row, the commuters must brace for the worst. Except for a few fuel stations in Clifton, DHA, Super Highway and SITE, all the stations in the rest of the city remained closed throughout Wednesday. Even the ones which opened in the morning on Wednesday ran dry as the day progressed.
"We are not receiving the products as the oil tankers' supply service has been closed since Tuesday," complained the CNG Dealers Association chairperson, Abdul Sami Khan. Despite the fact that the Sui Southern Gas Company supplied gas to the CNG stations of Karachi, the stations were unable to open. "We have spoken to the gas utility and they will supply us more gas on Thursday," he said, adding that they are still unsure if the pumps will open then.
Public transport vehicles could only be seen in Keamari, SITE, and some parts of Landhi and Baldia. Karachi Transport Ittehad general secretary Syed Mehmood Afridi said that a majority of the public transport remained off the roads. Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui did share a glimmer of hope and said the situation will improve on Thursday. "Nobody stopped the traders and the transporters and no strike call was given," he clarified. "They are not opening their businesses on their own."
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2014.