Business halt: Lahore braces for shutdown, traders remain divided

Associations split over alliance with government or PTI

LAHORE:

The political conundrum currently prevalent in Pakistan has increased the significance of traders’ bodies of metropolises in the country. The success or failure of shutdown calls heavily depends on their role.

In Lahore, the structural integrity of the bodies is suffering from complications as days pass, as many traders’ intensions are diverted towards the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while the majority is yet sympathetic towards the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). As a result of this, there is a conflict, with new groups emerging – as supporters of a specific party – without any hurdles in making subgroups within the bodies.

There are over 500 markets (wholesale and retail) in the city of Lahore, with traders of nearly all the markets showing resistance to strikes. This is due to the already diminishing financial situation of the country and the low buying power of masses, as well as the hampering of the overall business environment.



After PTI’s strike call, nearly every trader The Express Tribune spoke to agreed that there will be little or no business in Lahore, especially main markets. However, majority of the trade union representatives said that they will open markets only to symbolise a gesture for the government.

“Traders don’t want to shut their businesses due to any strike,” said Qaumi Tajir Itehad Chairman Ansar Zahoor. “Bodies always support the government because it takes decisions in their favour.”

But QTI is not the only representative body for traders of Lahore. The All Pakistan Anjum-e-Tajran (APAT) is another main group. These groups are further separated into subgroups and the chief of each body is either a close political ally or a financially strong individual. In addition, for over 500 markets in Lahore, there are at least a couple of bodies in each one present. There also exist trader bodies of nearly every political party to influence the market.

The members of main bodies are also a part of secondary unions, for example if anyone is a key official of APAT or QTI, and then he must be a chairman or at least a president of the secondary body of any particular market.

What happens to others

The medium or small scale traders, however, are not happy with this conflict as they only want to continue with their business operations. “On many points I support PTI, but I don’t want to be a part of politics”, said Faisal Mukhtar, a medium scale trader at Mall Road, a key artery in Lahore.

For such traders, alliance with any politically-motivated group will only result in extra burden as their issues remain stagnant.

“The favours are only for key slot traders as they want to increase their influence in political parties to support their own interests,” said Mukhtar.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2014.

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