KARACHI, Oct 25 The Shershah scrap market association has decided to keep their businesses closed until their demands are met and is planning to hold a protest march to press the government in this regard.

Speaking to Dawn on Monday, a representative of the association requesting anonymity said that the traders were not ready to open their shops as they felt insecure due to the indifferent attitude of law-enforcement agencies.

Besides, he said, none of the government functionaries called the representatives of traders even a week after the Shershah carnage that had claimed 12 lives.

“Neither the chief minister nor the home minister called us to express condolences over the tragic incident,” he said.

In this situation, he said that he appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the traders' killings.

He said that between 10 and 12 traders, who lived in the neighbourhood of the Shershah Market, were forced to open their shops. But all those shops were closed within an hour in the absence of effective security measures, he added.

He explained that graffiti in the market warned traders that if “you open your shops now or a month later, we will return to the market”.

Call for relocation

In this situation, traders could not open the market, he said, reiterating the demand that the scrap market be relocated.

“We will keep our businesses closed till our demands are met by the government,” said the traders' representative.

He said he had requested Rangers posted at the old Golimar area picket to provide protection to the market but they said that the area was out of their remit. The station house officer concerned was also not cooperating, he added.

Recalling the Shershah carnage, he said that one shopkeeper was seen begging for mercy in the name of Allah and the Prophet (peace be upon him), but the terrorists placed put pistol into his mouth and shot him dead. “And as his children approached they were also gunned down by the terrorists,” he added.

He said the Shershah scrap market association was planning to hold a protest march from the Liaquatabad Dakhana to the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday or Wednesday.

He said that other trade associations would also join them in the protest march.