FAISALABAD, Sept 26: The artificial jewellery market is shrinking rapidly for craftsmen due to surging prices of gas and electricity and influx of Indian jewellery, buffeting the local market and leaving dozens of workers jobless and forcing shops to shut down.

Usman Ali, an imitation jewellery maker at a market in Rail Bazaar, was earning a handsome amount monthly but is now jobless for three months. He visits his workshop daily hoping his boss would provide him employment. But both Usman and his boss Waseem are finding it hard to resume their closed business.

Rail Bazaar is considered a massive gold market dealing in millions of rupees of gold daily. Foreseeing surging prices of gold, many shopkeepers here switched to artificial jewellery. They started earning quite a lot in artificial ornaments, which is now in a bad shape for many months.

Usman said scores of other markets are dealing in artificial jewellery. However, now a good number of shopkeepers have left this business due to smuggling in bulk of Indian imitation jewellery and rising prices of electricity and gas.

He said not only the shopkeepers but the people supplying raw material were also suffering. Shopkeepers are compelled to sell jewellery even below the actual cost only to cover daily expenses and get a grip over the business. But the situation is worsening with no hope, he added.

The recent slump in the marker has forced several labourers to take up another job.

Shoaib is one such person. He was running a thriving business of artificial jewellery, however, now he is working as an artisan. He said taking advantage of the unemployment among craftsmen, the shopkeepers decreased the rates of labour creating several problems for them.

Another artisan of the same market, Naeem Khan, who was earning a handsome amount monthly, is also ready to move to Abbottabad or Afghanistan for a job. He said abject poverty had made people unable to buy artificial jewellery even let alone gold.

Indian jewellery is also buffeting the market as local shopkeepers are finding it difficult to compete with craftsmen across the border producing some amazing artificial jewellery.

Nasir Ali, a local jeweller, said affordable prices of artificial jewellery were attracting all segments of society in the wake of surging inflation, rising food prices and high cost of living. Affluent families are also opting for lightweight artificial jewellery for their brides, he added.

Many artisans of the market have sought loans and gone abroad, mostly to African and Arab countries, where they are working on nominal salaries.

A local trader, Imran, left for Libya a couple of months ago after striking a deal with a local trader who had established his business there. Imran is now earning Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 monthly while food and residence is provided by his employer.

Talking to Dawn through Skype, Imran said he was going through a difficult phase in Libya. “I really went out of the frying pan into the fire.”

He said he was earning a meagre amount while the deteriorated situation in Libya is frightening him.

“We cannot go out for entertainment and have to keep ourselves in our rooms fearing we will be robbed or attacked by looters.”

He said robbers looted and tortured his four fellows a few weeks ago when they went out to the market to purchase edibles. He said sounds of gunshots were giving them sleepless nights almost everyday.

He said about a dozen men from Faisalabad and its adjoining area of Shah Kot were working in Libya after failing to get jobs in artificial ornaments market. He said sensing the poor business conditions, employers were offering them contractual jobs rather than a monthly salary. The contract was not in favour of the employees, he added.

Farman Kaka is also jobless for two and a half months and his employer is making false promises of giving him a job soon.

“I call my employer daily asking for a job. Neither he is refusing nor providing a job. The condition has put me under financial burden,” Kaka added.

He said the employer owed him Rs12,000 for his labour. Because of poor business situation, the employer paid him in installments and cleared his dues four days ago.