Karachi traders threaten to open markets from first of Ramazan

E-Paper | May 07, 2026

Karachi traders threaten to open markets from first of Ramazan

The Newspaper's Staff Reporter Published April 23, 2020

President SITE Association of Industry Suleman Chawla has urged the Sindh government to convert current strict lockdown into a ‘smart lockdown’. — PPI/File

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KARACHI: Traders of the city, including president All City Tajir Ittehad (ACTI) Sharjeel Gopalani along with other trade bodies’ representatives, have announced opening of shops and markets in Karachi from first of Ramazan irrespective of finalisation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the Sindh government.

At a press conference at Timber Market on Wednesday, they recalled that trade bodies had first decided to open their shops and bazaars from April 15 but they delayed the opening on assurance from the Sindh government that SOPs would be sent to the federal government for approval in the next 48 hours.

They said when Sindh government could take decision on its own under 18th Amendment, why was it taking permission from the federal government for SOPs?

“We will open our trade whether SOPs are finalised or not,” general secretary, ACTI, Ahmed Shamsi said adding that Sindh government still has a day or two to issue SOPs.

President SITE Association of Industry Suleman Chawla has urged the Sindh government to convert current strict lockdown into a ‘smart lockdown’.

He said Karachi was being discriminated against, as only the metropolis remains under lockdown. Ramazan is approaching fast and this is the biggest sale season for business community and closure in these days means loss for the whole year, he added.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2020

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Singer

Apr 23, 2020 11:32am

Very unfortunate that these traders are giving prominence to business over human life.

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Common

Apr 23, 2020 11:37am

There is a saying when the times are bad the brain stops functioning.

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Sandal khatrak

Apr 23, 2020 11:40am

Only Altaf bhai can fix this !

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Naushad Shamimul Haq Khan

Apr 23, 2020 11:55am

Sindh government should realise it is time to correct its flawed policy vis-a-vis lockdown. People associated with trade and transport sectors are literally on the verge of starvation. The government should immediately devise SOPs and allow transporters and traders to resume their business.

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Syed A. Mateen

Apr 23, 2020 12:00pm

The time has come when traders and people will not listen to Sindh government any more and defy all the instructions. The police and rangers will not be able to do any thing, despite instructions from Sindh Government. How many people Sindh Government will put in jail when the courts are only hearing applications now-a-days of bail before arrest and bail after arrest.

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M. Emad

Apr 23, 2020 12:17pm

Traders and shopkeepers can not sustain an indefinite-period lockdown.

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Abdul Rehman

Apr 23, 2020 12:39pm

Sindh govt should take own decisions considering the province status rather than putting guns on federal government shoulder

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Phupha Tableeghi

Apr 23, 2020 12:44pm

Just open it.

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Mansur Ul Haque

Apr 23, 2020 12:54pm

Government should not use any force on traders to close down their shops. To get desired results government should ask these traders to file their income tax return. For this they will prefer to go on strike rather than opening their shops.

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Syed A. Mateen

Apr 23, 2020 12:56pm

Six traders have already been sent on judicial remand for 14 days by the area magistrate. Other traders are protesting and have reached court road protesting against the lock down in the city. Let’s see what comes ahead.

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dubai

Apr 23, 2020 01:05pm

Greedy as usual!

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Hari

Apr 23, 2020 01:05pm

Essential goods must be allowed.

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Faketrack

Apr 23, 2020 01:12pm

Common sense is missing.

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Dr No

Apr 23, 2020 01:51pm

Imran Khans government cannot do anything for the people of Pakistan so traders have to fend for themselves. This lockdown cannot be sustained. Even people in the USA are protesting against it.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Apr 23, 2020 02:28pm

Amid rapidly expanding and fastly growing coronavirus pandemic, what other options do they have to avoid starvation and famine like situation for themselves, their families as well as all their customers, clients, friends, peers, pals, associates neighborhood people and communities?

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Sam

Apr 23, 2020 02:53pm

These are the true patriots who are willing to risk their lives for ensuring supplies to people.

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Jehangir

Apr 23, 2020 03:06pm

These shop keepers will find nowhere to hide once Altaf Hussain gives a call.

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Skeptic

Apr 23, 2020 03:43pm

Get ready for more infections and more hospital beds as the virus multiplies. So by the end of Ramadan, Karachi will start looking like northerm Italy! These people are only thinking in terms of money, trade, profit not safety, health and prevention that could be catastrophic for the city and the nation at large!

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Haider

Apr 23, 2020 03:47pm

Murad Ali Shah is very caring for health of people of his province. Yeah. Right.

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Nitin

Apr 23, 2020 03:48pm

It's a tricky situation. This is the time for the rich to take care of poor. Life is more important than money, poor can survive if the people who have are generous enough.

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M. Saeed

Apr 23, 2020 03:54pm

Karachi needs a complete curfew under these threats.

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Raheel

Apr 23, 2020 04:24pm

Traders should be charged with manslaughter when cases arise. A truly shameful and inconsiderate threat by traders.

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Ding Dong

Apr 23, 2020 04:47pm

Imran Khan should pay all shopkeepers compensation

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LAHORI KID

Apr 23, 2020 04:47pm

These guys might be businessmen, but they have zero common sense, Sindh isn’t the only Province hurting, the whole world is hurting, on top, PPP dumped its responsibilities on the federal government, sure the final say so is up to the federal government, but at least Bilawal should at least stand firm due to virus serge in Sindh, and tell the business community it’s just not possible right now

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Changez Khan

Apr 23, 2020 04:48pm

Time to open the business.

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Luqman

Apr 23, 2020 05:04pm

@Singer, They have to feed people too you know. They have employees and themselves. Savings don't last forever.

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Tahir Saeed

Apr 23, 2020 05:29pm

Lets be honest, everyone is eventually going to get infected. The main purpose of the lockdown is to slow the spread, so people get infected slowly, not all at once, because if they do, there will not be enough hospitals to take care of them. Until a vaccine is developed and distributed, which may take 18-24 months, we will not have a total opening.

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m:ahmed

Apr 23, 2020 06:14pm

@Tahir Saeed, That is Ideology of Herd Immunity practiced by UK but they took U-turn... If you follow that Ideology there will be a lot of loss of Life...

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AZAM AKBAR

Apr 23, 2020 06:23pm

@Naushad Shamimul Haq Khan , Mr. Naushad Shamimul Haq Khan, The chief minister of Sindh of PPP Mr. Syed Murad Ali Shah is for lockdown in Karachi whereas in other parts of province lockdown is only on paper. What is his motive?

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Salman

Apr 23, 2020 06:25pm

Where is awesome Sindh government now ?

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ON .

Apr 23, 2020 07:05pm

@Syed A. Mateen, law abiding citizens makes a great nation.

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Talha

Apr 23, 2020 07:06pm

Shame on these traders and their greed. They are openly saying Ramadan is the time when they make the most profit. They should be thrown behind bars instead of being allowed to do trade. Only Federal government authorized traders should be allowed to run their operations based on the principles of minimal profits and benefits for the masses.

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N Abidi

Apr 23, 2020 09:51pm

Ecnomic is important,these essential bussiness must open,but with preventions put in place. Putting up plexi glass panels to protect the workers. Masks and hand santizers and keeping space between each other when shopping should be maintain by the public should be emphasized . Covid 19 requires everyone to do their part to stay a live !

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Zak

Apr 23, 2020 10:10pm

By selfish attitude, these traders are endangering others lives. They will be responsible for subsequent deaths.

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Ashif

Apr 23, 2020 10:40pm

This is no time to think about this, stay home and stay safe.

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tojonasmann

Apr 23, 2020 10:43pm

@Luqman, Feed people and themselves but what if they all died doing this? Shoppers greed will certainly result in many people contracting the coronavirus, and possibly dying from it. People should pay more attention to health and well-being instead of chasing materialistic things. What's the point of accumulating wealth, making money, or building big houses, when everything has to be left behind when people are dead. Be modest. Be humble. Be prudent. Follow discipline, law and order for personal safety.

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Thomas Tablighi

Apr 24, 2020 12:21am

@Singer, that is because they do not have enough food to feed themselves if they close their shops.

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Lahori kid

Apr 24, 2020 01:04am

Sure, go ahead and open your businesses, as of Thursday, there are 3671 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, watch it skyrocket passed Punjab in less than a week, then they'll be cryin g for governments assistance.

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Danish

Apr 24, 2020 02:17am

Very goodl news. Business will start booming in Ramzan and traders will make more money to cover up the losses by increasing the prices they wish to charged and poor will have no choice to refuse . Thanks to our incompetent Gov.

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Athar Zia

Apr 24, 2020 02:33am

Corona yet has not cross the target killing rate in Karachi. Lets start the business.

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Sid

Apr 24, 2020 04:42am

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, that is poverty speaking, do you see any Indian shopkeeper or businessman complaining

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jaredlee007

Apr 24, 2020 05:11am

And in the same month of Ramzan they will also be opening their own graves, thanks to Corona.

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Syed Ali

Apr 24, 2020 05:29am

How can lock down be smart? Traders are well off people, they can easily bear sitting at home without income.They can claim reduction in income tax. They should pass on names of their employees to government to be paid substantive allowance or loan till lock down.

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Jawad Asif

Apr 24, 2020 06:32am

Dubai has recently partially opened malls and business. We need to follow smart lock down approach otherwise people will die of hunger and there is far reaching effects on the economy as well.

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Phupha Tableeghi

Apr 24, 2020 07:31am

Sure. You must open it. Shopping is more important than coronavirus threat.

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Thomas

Apr 24, 2020 08:48am

we need Altaf bahi to take over not IK who is a failed leader.

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Thomas

Apr 24, 2020 08:51am

@Talha, Bro, if your family is in this business you will understand, otherwise you will be insensitive.

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ON .

Apr 24, 2020 09:03am

Let nature take its course. Anyway human race owe a lot to nature and it's time to repay and repair the nature. IK does make sense with his do nothing and go with the flow policy

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ON .

Apr 24, 2020 09:11am

@Faketrack, need right sense. Even if you completely lockdown the nation at this late stage, nothing good will come out. People are NOT very sensible about deaths of extremely sick. We all know deep inside how survival laws work. So just stop pushing 98% to the limits for saving 2%. That's common sense. IK is applying it against all advice he received.

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Luqman

Apr 24, 2020 09:41am

@tojonasmann, Every person is entitled to earn how much he wants. People should follow SOPs and nature will run its course. Worse pandemics have hit in history. The pandemic of hunger is much more dangerous than that of this virus. Also, the Sindh government is inefficiently handling this issue because nowhere in the world are people being arrested. Using the disguise of public health local police officials are harassing citizens. Look at Sweeden, they opted for herd immunity. While we can never do that because neither the civilians or the government has the capacity to do so, local governments are not exactly feeding individuals. Private people are.

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