KARACHI, Sept 9: While trading remained almost suspended, the industrial activities remained “unaffected” by the Friday’s united opposition’s strike against the President Musharraf’s set-up. Despite thin traffic movement, industrialists confirmed that 80-90 per cent units remained opened in the industrial enclaves of the city.

Many industries had chalked out a contingency plans ahead of the strike by changing shifts’ timings or holding night shift’s workers till morning on overtime in order to cover up production losses that usually occur in the morning shifts and partly in the afternoon shifts.

However, local finished products’ supplies from the industries to main markets remained suspended owing to closure of main wholesale and retail markets in Karachi.

The industrialists said that those exporters whose products were destined for abroad had already made some arrangements, and majority of them had hardly faced any problems.

The strike disturbed the industrial activities at most by 20 per cent on Friday, which cannot be considered a major blow to both the national kitty as well as to the industrialists and businessmen, as compared to the previous strikes by opposition parties.

“As many as 90 per cent industries have operated in the Site area without any interruption,” Site Association of Industry Chairman Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said, adding that only the attendance of executive staff remained thin.

Former Site Association chairman Majyd Aziz also confirmed that 90 per cent industries were in full swing where the pace of work remained at full capacity, while only 10-15 per cent staff and workers could not register their attendance due to thin transport. He said that many industrialists had put on hold workers and staffers on overtime on Thursday night to handle the Friday production.

However, he said that supplies to main local markets like Cloth market, Jodia Bazaar and others remained suspended throughout the day. The procurement of raw materials for future production also could not be made from the market.

Site, encompassing an area of 4,700 acres, has over 550 textile units out of total 2,516 units, which share millions of rupees to the kitty daily. More than 500,000 persons are directly employed in the Site area. It has been estimated that over Rs400 billion ($7 billion) have been invested in the area.

Karachi contributes 65 per cent of the total revenue collection, out of which Site’s share is nearly 40 per cent.

An industrialist in the Korangi industrial area said that business activities in the area remained in full swing and over 90 per cent industries conducted their daily operation without any major problem.

The Korangi industrial area, spanned over 8,500 acres, has more than 2,500 units, providing daily revenue of Rs250 million. Most of the units are export-oriented, including 372 textile industries.

F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry Chairman Rehan Zeeshan said that over 80 per cent industries, out of total 2,500 small to large scale industrial units in which 90 per cent are export-oriented relating to textile, hosiery, garments and towels, continued their operations.

He pointed out that many industries had already made a standby arrangement a day before the strike by not leaving the night shift’s labour and calling the afternoon shift’s people a bit late in order to avert production losses.

Mr Zeeshan pointed out that in this strike industries might suffer losses up to 20 per cent but it could not be considered as a major loss as compared to the previous losses in various strikes.

North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry Chairman Syed Azim Ali said that 90 per cent industrial units, out of 2,000-2,500 mainly small and medium enterprises, successfully operated their business in the area. Due to small and medium sized units, the employment numbers are less than 100,000 persons. The daily contribution of the area in shape of duties and taxes to the government is Rs100 million.