KARACHI, Dec 31: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has set up a “help desk” for industrialists and traders to articulate their demand for payment of compensation for the losses incurred by them after the Dec 27 incident.
The plan envisages collection of statistics regarding huge losses sustained by the industry owing to burning of factories and shops, and incidents of loot and arson at the godowns and factories, torching of containers and vehicles on the way to Karachi, and standing outside factories during the violence which erupted after the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi.
After gathering such an information, the KCCI will take up the matter with the Sindh governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, and hopefully the meeting will be held in a day or two.
KCCI president Shamim Ahmed Shamsi told Dawn on Monday that this decision had been made in the annual general body meeting of the KCCI held on Monday.
He said that the KCCI plans to lead a 25-member delegation involving the chamber members, industrialists and affected traders and businessmen so that the government could seriously think of compensating the losses.
Both traders and industrialists have been asked to speed up their efforts to provide details of the losses.
He, however, said it was hard to give an initial estimate about the losses since Friday, but according to a wild guess, losses with reference to production, export, sales, torching of vehicles and factories, plundering of food items at godowns, etc., ranges between Rs50 to 60 billion.
The KCCI has written a letter to the director-general of rangers to enhance mobility and patrolling of vehicles at the main markets and their surrounding areas so that confidence of the trading community could be restored and business activities could resume in full swing, according to Mr Shamsi.
Leader of the business community, Siraj Kassam Teli said the lethargic attitude of the Sindh government had resulted in multiple trade and production losses since Thursday.
The government has called out army very late on the third day in some areas of Karachi and Sindh.
If the Sindh government would have sought army’s help on Friday, major loss could have been averted, he said.
He said violence had erupted in all the provinces, but their governments had controlled it to some extent, but no serious efforts were made to curb lawlessness in Sindh and Karachi.
Teli said that the government’s claim of burning of up to 800 vehicles all over Pakistan appears to be fake as an estimated 1,000 vehicles had been torched in Karachi alone in the last few days.
INDUSTRIES: Chairman, North Karachi of Trade and Industry (NKATI), Faraz Mirza, said that the industries minister, Arif Ali Khan Abbasi, had taken round of the industrial area and was informed about the burning of five towel factories and one processing unit, as well as loot and plunder in many industrial units.
“Burning of industries and plunder had caused a loss of Rs150-200 million,” he said. On Monday, he said after opening of industries, with over 100 per cent attendance, the rumour of killing of Dr Farooq Sattar, followed by some violence, again forced many industries to close down by 1pm.
Vice President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Zubair Tufail, said no truck, carrying goods, had arrived from the ports since Thursday and the port authorities are now demanding demurrages of six days.
He urged the KPT, the PQA and other port authorities not to charge the demurrage.
Chairman, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KCCI), Masood Naqi said 50 per cent of the industries remained shut on Monday while others had to close down in the afternoon after rumours about the killing of Dr Farooq Sattar.
He said only 20 to 25 per cent of production was recorded in the industries owing to thin public transport on the roads.
As far as losses are concerned, he said the association was gathering information about losses from the affected parties. However, according to initial information, four factories (towel, tobacco, garment and garment accessories) had completely been burnt, while some eight had partially been torched, including a bread-making unit. The units included Singer, BASF, United Towel, Mohammad Farooq Textile etc.
More than 100 vehicles, including new cars, trucks and trawlers parked inside and outside the factories or on roads were put to torch, followed by the burning of six petrol pumps, six banks and two car showrooms, besides some public property, like SSGC and KESC Office, Masood Naqi said.
Former chairman, Site Association of Trade and Industry, Imran Shaukat, said after opening of 100 per cent industries, there was 90 per cent production on Monday as labour turned up on Sunday night and on Monday morning.
He said six banks had been burnt in the Site Area while over 30 distribution vehicles of a leading soft drink maker had been set ablaze. Imran said there was no report of loot and plunder and burning of industries in the area.
Chairman, F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBATI), Masroor Ahmed Alvi, said that despite Dr Farooq Sattar’s rumor, over 95 per cent of industries opened in the morning and they recorded 40-50 per cent production as the same percentage of workers had turned up to their respective units. As most of the markets remained shut, supplies from local industries could not be made.
He said many industries had suspended their night shifts on Monday due to sense of insecurity. He criticised the role of law enforcement agencies in handling the law and order situation in the city.
TRADE: After the opening of markets on Monday morning after a gap of three days, a rumour of attack on MQM headquarters, followed by killing of MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar and firing in areas, resulted in closure of a majority of main markets.
However, in some markets, shopkeepers managed to open their shops in the afternoon. In many areas, retailers inside the residential areas fully utilised the situation by charging Rs5 to Rs10 more on various items while some milk-sellers continued to charge Rs40 to 45 a litre for fresh milk.
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