KARACHI, Feb 7: Small traders, wholesalers and shopkeepers in the city’s major markets kept their businesses closed on Tuesday in response to the strike call given by their leaders.

The call for the strike was given on Monday by the Alliance of Market Associations (AMA) and Karachi Electronic Dealers Association (KEDA) against the publication of blasphemous sketches by certain European newspapers.

The electronics and electrical markets, furniture markets, jewellery markets, wholesale markets on M.A. Jinnah Road, as well as Jama Cloth Market, Tariq Road, Light House, Jodia Bazaar, Abdullah Haroon Road, Boultan Market, Denso Hall, etc., remained closed throughout the day.

However, in the areas like Water Pump, Karimabad, Liaquatabad, Nagan Chowrangi and Clifton, and the Empress Market in Saddar, traders gave a mixed response.

Retail commodity markets, located inside the main markets, remained opened as people throng the markets for procuring items like pulses, sugar, dry fruits, wheat, juices, rice, suji, maida, etc for haleem, khichrra, sweet dishes, sharbat, etc, for Nazar and Niaz purpose.

AMA Chairman Atiq Mir claimed that 95 per cent of the markets in the city remained closed in response to the strike call.

He regretted that the government had not taken a bold stand on the issue, saying that it had only criticized the blasphemy as an irresponsible act.

He called for suspension of diplomatic relations with the countries, where print media had carried the blasphemous sketches, till they apologized. Besides, he added, an assurance from these countries be sought that no such act would be resorted to again in future.

He urged people to discourage Danish products to show their anger over the blasphemy.

Meanwhile, industries continued to run smoothly on Tuesday as they had not endorsed the strike call.

Chairman of the SITE Association of Industry Amin Bandukda said that due to closure of wholesale markets and cloth markets, supplies of finished goods from the industries and procurement of raw material remained suspended on Tuesday.

BOYCOTT: A spokesman for the All Pakistan Organization of Small Traders and Cottage Industry, Sindh, has announced that all members of the organization will stop selling EU products from Friday, PPI adds. He said the decision had been taken at a meeting of the organization on Tuesday.