KARACHI: Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh on Friday accused the Sindh government of adopting dual policy to deal with Covid-19 situation in the province.

“The PPP government has segregated Karachi and Hyderabad from rest of Sindh and citizens, particularly trade and industrial community of the two largest cities, are suffering from arbitrary and unjustified decisions of the government,” he said while speaking to media along with representatives of trade organisations of Karachi.

Karachi Traders Action Comm­ittee had set up a camp on M.A. Jinnah Road and started hunger strike in protest against the Sindh government’s Covid-related rest­rictions, including two-day closure of markets and trade activities in a week and limited business hours on weekdays in Karachi.

Haleem Sheikh along with PTI MPA Raja Azhar and others visited the protest camp to express solidarity with traders and assured them of PTI’s assistance in the regard.

PTI leader asks provincial govt to accept traders’ demands

Mr Sheikh said that the Sindh government had adopted double standards for traders of Karachi who were contributing 70 per cent of taxes into total revenue of the country.

It was embarrassing to see traders on roads instead of running their businesses, Haleem said and added that the chief minister of Sindh and his team were unaware of miseries of common man and of problems being faced by traders and industrialists of the province.

He censured the Sindh government for “anti-Karachi, anti-business and anti-people decisions” and actions and asked Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to consider traders’ demands and revisit such decisions which could ruin the national economy.

“The PPP is arranging public gatherings, rallies and other political activities in violation of coronavirus SOPs, but at the same time they are against opening of businesses and schools,” Haleem Adil Sheikh said.

Karachi police could only be seen active at the time for closing markets while they failed in carrying out their basic duty — maintenance of peace and law and order in the metropolis — he alleged.

He also claimed that 363 drug dens were operating in the city with the connivance of police officers.

“Bilawal Zardari and Murad Ali Shah have turned their eyes from the issues of traders and daily wage earners and are busy in minting money through illegal means,” he alleged.

Haleem Adil Sheikh said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was against the policy of closing businesses and the PTI government had taken such measures that ensured prevention of disease and continuity of economic activities at the same time.

The PTI will table a resolution in Sindh Assembly in support of traders’ demands while a letter in this regard would also be written to the chief secretary of Sindh, Mr Sheikh said adding that the PTI Sindh would wholeheartedly support the struggle of traders and would be standing shoulder to shoulder with them.

Trader representatives Rizwan Irfan, Sharjeel Gopalani and Jamil Piracha thanked Haleem Sheikh for extending support to them.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2021