KARACHI: Karachiites suffered another day of panic on Tuesday when daily business came to an abrupt closure minutes after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) called for a ‘day of mourning’ against the Lahore incident ‘appealing’ to traders and transport to keep their businesses suspended on Wednesday.

By the time the ruling party reviewed its decision ‘on the request of small traders’ and withdrew the ‘appeal’ within a few hours, the damage had already been done as a large number of fuel stations were closed, transporters off the roads and business activity at major commercial centres came to a standstill.

“Tomorrow [Wednesday] will be normal business day after the call has been withdrawn,” said Abdul Sami Khan of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association. “There is always a sense of insecurity among the fuel station owners who prefer to close the business on their own, otherwise, there was no violence or any untoward incident that led to the closure.”

He said there were some 700 fuel stations — petrol pumps and CNG stations — and as there was no gas supply on Tuesday by the Sui Southern Gas Company under its load-management programme only petrol pumps were doing business before a ‘large number of the stations’ closed their business shortly after the announcement for the day of mourning for Wednesday.

Long queues of commuters were seen lined up outside a few fuel stations which remained open despite the MQM ‘appeal’. The number of buses also started declining gradually following ‘the appeal for the day of mourning’.

Unlike fuel stations, commercial activities at major markets were not suspended abruptly but the call for mourning on Wednesday did badly affect the regular dealings, said business leaders.

A large number of buyers returned from the markets after the MQM ‘appeal’ made headlines on private TV channels in a bid to rush to their homes before a breakdown of law and order.

“The markets remained open and none of the major commercial centres closed its business,” said Ateeq Mir of the Karachi Tajir Ittehad. “But the buyers preferred to return empty handed after the call and it badly affected the regular business. All major markets were wearing an almost deserted look by the evening.”

He said there was also a concern among the traders, who were quite disappointed as the business had already suffered several closure this month (June). But, he added, the fresh announcement about the withdrawal of the appeal came as relief to them and normal business activity was expected on Wednesday.

The city had witnessed two-day closure earlier this month amid fear and panic when TV channels had aired news about the ‘arrest’ of MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London, sparking gunfire and arson attacks in different localities where more than a dozen vehicles were torched.

While sharing his thoughts Irshad Bukhari of the Karachi Transporters Ittehad said that the transporters on their own restricted their activities following the MQM call and avoided plying vehicles on ‘vulnerable routes’ which brought the number of vehicles ‘automatically down’ by the evening.

“On CNG stations closure day, the number of buses is always less than those on normal days. Then this call further affected the transport business but I hope with the withdrawal of the call, there will be normal transport activity on Wednesday,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the MQM coordination committee said that the party had decided to withdraw the call for business closure on small traders’ request, ‘appealing’ to traders and transporters and businessmen to continue regular activity on Wednesday on its ‘day of mourning’.

“The people are appealed to hoist black flags and arrange prayers for the martyrs of the attack on the Tehreek-i-Minhaj-ul-Quran secretariat to mark a day of mourning against Lahore brutality,” the statement added.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2014