KARACHI, March 13: Production activities in the industrial areas hit the bottom rock on Saturday because of the closed holiday in connection with cricket match. The holiday was announced by the Directorate Labour Sindh on Friday.

As a result, majority of the labour force, working in Karachi's industrial areas, enjoyed watching the cricket match between Pakistan and India.

However, only export-oriented industries and processing industries managed to arrange the labour force on overtime to run their units to meet the timely shipment of their goods. But majority of industries, whose products are specifically destined for local and upcountry markets, remained shut.

Attendance in the banks also remained very thin. In some branches, officers and staffs were busy in watching the Pakistan-India cricket match at the TV sets.

Many markets had remained shut for the whole day while some shopkeepers and wholesalers in various markets conducted their business till 2 p.m. and rushed home later to watch Pakistan's inning against India's massive total of 349.

However, a Customs official said that daily entry of export documents witnessed a normal routine at both the East and West Wharf Export Examination Centres since export-oriented units had operated their industries to meet the shipment deadlines.

Industrialists as well as Employers' Federation of Pakistan (EFP) on Friday had already termed the Labour's department directive to observe Saturday as a holiday as unlawful besides predicting sizable production losses, that is bound to cause industrial unrest and damage the national economy.

The chairman, Site Association of Industry, Mohammad Nisar Sheikhani said only export-oriented industries, who were bound to meet foreign buyers' shipment deadline, had opened their units otherwise majority of industrial units in the Site area, comprising over 2,500 units, kept their production units closed. He said many industrial units owners had to arrange a sizable labour to run their industries on Sunday on overtime to off set the negative impact of Sindh Labour Department's decision of observing holiday on Saturday.

"Industries cannot afford holidays at a time when country's economy has to meet the challenges of globalization," he said hoping that the government would refrain next time from declaring holidays on weekdays specially on a sports event.

Ex-chairman Site Association, Haroon Farooqi was of the view that only 30-50 per cent production had been achieved depending on the size of industrial units since majority of industries remained closed.

There was no justification of declaring a holiday when federal governments' departments and institutions were open. He said deliveries to the local markets had been affected badly due to closure of many markets.

The chairman, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Mian Zahid Hussain said that only five to 10 per cent production had been registered since the entire industrial units in the Korangi area were shut. Industrialists, engaged in exports, had to arrange labour on overtime to meet the obligation of foreign buyers' commitments.

In the North Karachi Industrial areas, having more than 100,000 people working in 2,500 industries, production activities ranged between 20-25 per cent in only export based units who had to send timely shipments. The area witnessed closure of majority of units, Chairman North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI), Sadiq Mohammad said adding that daily wagers turned out to be the real victims of the Sindh government's decision.