Bearing the brunt: Wholesalers claim loss of ‘millions’ due to sit-ins

ISLAMABAD:

As the ongoing sit-ins of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have move to the more specified area of the Red Zone, the supply of goods from markets across the country has resumed in the capital.

However, locals are still avoiding walking into markets in Sector G-6 due to the unrest and road blockades in and around Islamabad.

The business community has been protesting over the losses that they have had to bear due to sit-ins and road blocks.

“The perishable goods have started decaying in the absence of customers,” said Haji Hanif, a wholesaler at Sabzi Mandi. He maintained that Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri should realise the severity of the situation and end their protests.

Hanif said wholesalers were losing millions of rupees everyday due the protests, adding that thousands of people directly depend on these markets for their livelihood.

Muhammad Ishaq Khan and Akhlaq Ahmed, wholesalers from Raja Bazaar, Rawalpindi said shortage of goods was also being reported in Chakwal, Swat, Peshawar, Swabi, Muzzaffarbad, Rawalakot, Abbottabad, Murree and some other cities. Sardar Zaidullah Khan, another wholesaler, stressed upon the government to immediately address the marchers’ demands so normalcy could return to the twin cities.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2014.