HYDERABAD, Feb 9: The small flower merchants of Hyderabad warned here on Saturday that they would stage hunger strike on Feb 14 if they were not allowed to sell flowers in Karachi.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here, Gul Baig Chhalgari, Abdul Majeed Mirbahar and Mohammad Ismail Barch said that a large quantity of flowers of different varieties was produced in Hyderabad and they had paid advance money to the growers to purchase flowers from them on regular basis.

They said that the big flower merchants were not paying adequate prices to the growers and were threatening the small traders. The big merchants had formed a union and were demanding “goonda tax” from the small traders on the pretext of three per cent commission.

They alleged that on their refusal to pay the commission, they were being threatened that false cases of theft would be registered against them. They said that due to the fear they had stopped the sale of flowers in Karachi and were suffering a loss of Rs50,000 per day.

They demanded of the government to take notice of the high-handedness of the big flower merchants and allow them to sell flowers in Karachi.

ADP: Hyderabad Zila Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman here on Saturday presided over a meeting of the taluka Nazims, EDOs and other officers at the Shahbaz Hall with regard to preparation of new schemes to be included in the ADP 2002-2003.