KARACHI, June 24: As many as 255 trade and market associations have announced that a sit-in would be staged at 5pm on Tuesday in front of Memon Masjid, Bolton Market against the growing lawlessness in the city which, they claim, has destroyed their businesses.

According to a press release issued by the All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders & Cottage Industries, the associations which have extended their support to the protest plan included the Pak Alliance of Market Associations, Printing Association, Marriott Road Small Traders, Sindh Sarafa Association, Anjuman Tajran-i-Pakistan, Juna Market Association, Zargar Association, Khori Garden Traders, Tariq Road Traders Association, Nazimabad Printing Market, Anjuman Tajran Quaidabad, Saddar Alliance of Market Associations, Sher Shah Kabari Market, Karachi Rickshaw Taxi Association, Soldier Bazaar Market Association, Pak Meezan Traders, Gulshan-i-Hadeed Traders Association, Liaquatabad Traders Alliance and UP Morr Small Traders Group.

The press release said that leaders of all the 255 associations condemned the growing menace of extortion that had already led to the kidnapping for ransom and killing of many traders in the city.—PPI