December 30, 2007	Sunday	Zilhaj 19, 1428

KARACHI, Dec 29: All business and external trade activities remained at a standstill for the second consecutive day on Saturday following eruption of riots in several parts of the city after the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

The trade losses during the last two days accumulated to over $230 million as life in the country could not return to normality and no export or import activity could take place.

As inquiries were made to know the exact number of entries received by the customs throughout Pakistan, it was disclosed by an official that barring a couple of entries reported in Peshawar, Lahore and Rawalpindi, almost all other customs posts in the country could not operate as staff was not available.

The country’s biggest customs post at Karachi also did not function on Saturday because no staff member could reach and the entire setup remained closed.

Above all, there was no reason for any importer or his clearing agent to get his goods cleared when there was no transport to move out goods from sea ports to the hinterland.

Similarly, export goods could not reach city’s ports – Karachi and Qasim -- because life remained paralysed and there was no public or private transport visible on roads.

Widespread riots and violence during the last two days, setting of private and public properties and vehicles ablaze across the country, particularly in Karachi and interior of Sindh after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on Thursday, created panic and fear amongst transporters who totally withdrew their vehicles from roads.

According to reports reaching Karachi, a very large number of heavy vehicles loaded with import and export goods are reported to have been set ablaze on highways in the interior of Sindh and this has shocked transporters who are now reluctant to bring their vehicles.

Since petrol pumps remained closed for the second day on Saturday, many private vehicles which were also seen plying up on Friday disappeared on Saturday.

Beside, huge loss of around $230 million on external trade (import/export), the country is losing billions of rupees per day on commercial, industrial and service sector activities and this could not be measured. However, loss on external trade could only be measured after taking into account last year’s total exports which stood at around $24 billion and total imports at around $17 billion.

Based on these figures, per month exports came to around $2 billion and around $65 million per day.

Similarly, per month imports stand at $1.40 billion and about $50 million per day. Therefore, the losses in term of external trade during the last two days stood at $230 million.

The Karachi port sources told Dawn on Saturday that two container carriers and one vessel loaded with coal arrived at the port. In total, eight vessels sailed out after discharging containers, general cargo, coal and POL products.

Cargo handling activity dwindled with import (unloading) 59,984 tons and exports (loading) 16,830 tons.

The shipping and cargo handling activity at Port Qasim further slowed down because no fresh cargo arrival from hinterland for export is reaching the port area.

The outward movement of cargo from both the ports is nil in the absence of transport facility and most of the imported cargo is accumulating inside the ports.

Three vessels were given berths at Port Qasim on Saturday, two unloading containers and one ship wheat. At FATCO, a tanker is discharging diesel which is running short in the country.