KARACHI, Oct 19: The business and industrial activities remained halted on Friday to mourn the death of 139 innocent people killed in reported bomb blasts targeted against Benazir Bhutto on Thursday. The city virtually wore a deserted look as all the leading wholesale and small retail markets and shopping centres and petrol stations remained completely closed.
Friday proved to be even less productive as compared to Thursday as some industrial activities, except for Korangi and Landhi, were witnessed in Site, F.B. Area and North Karachi industrial areas.
Industrialists said that the current week had virtually passed without any business activities as Monday and Tuesday were holidays on account of Eidul Fitr. They, however, hoped that industrial activities may return to normal from Monday next depending on the law and order situation.
Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) chairman Masood Naqi, Site Association of Industry, (SAI) acting chairman Rauf A. Sattar, F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBATI) chief Masroor Ahmed Alvi and North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) chairman Faraz Mirza described Friday as the most horrible day in terms of massive production losses.
They claimed 100 per cent closure of over 10,000 industrial units in these industrial estates.
Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) president Syed Irshad Hussain Bukhari said that out of 15,000 mini buses and coaches, only five per cent were on the roads, while there were hardly one per cent big buses out of 3,500. And of 75,000-80,000 rickshaws, yellow and black cabs, hardly 5 to 10 per cent were plying on Friday.
A dealer in Subzi Mandi said that trading activities had almost remained negligible owing to 70 per cent decline in arrival of regular buyers from the city. However, truck arrivals from upcountry remained normal.
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) president Tanvir Ahmad Sheikh expressed his grave concern over the loss of innocent lives in Thursday’s carnage and strongly condemned the reemergence of terrorist attacks in the country’s financial nerve centre.
“Such acts of brutal terrorism can only be carried out by inhuman mercenaries who are working for the enemies of Pakistan. They are bent upon creating Pakistan’s adverse image around the world besides destabilising it economically and politically,” he added.
He said such terror incidents were bound to create a sense of insecurity and uncertainty which would adversely hit the business and investment climate not only in the city but the country as a whole. “Unless safety and security of life and property is ensured, it would be unreasonable to expect growth in trade, industry and investment,” he asserted.
Mr Tanvir urged the local administration to take effective measures to ensure safety of life and property in the cosmopolitan city and suggested that the police and its operating systems should be upgraded on latest and modern lines to pre-empt the plans of the terrorists rather running around helplessly after the incidence. He also called upon the business community to cooperate with the government at all level to ensure safety and security for all.
Sindh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SWCCI) president Ms Rukhsana Jahangir and senior vice-president Ms Rubina Rasheed termed the Thursday’s carnage a national tragedy.
Ms Rubina said that at a time when the stock market was on its historical height and the economy was progressing, such barbarian act was aimed at sabotaging the democratic process and disrupting economic development besides creating bad image of the country.
Siraj Kassam Teli, Tahir Khaliq, Haroon Farooki, M. Zubair Motiwala, Anjum Nisar, Shamim Ahmed Shamsi, Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh, , Muhammad Haroon Agar also denounced the deadly attacks on the former prime minister’s welcome rally and expressed their grief on the loss of innocent lives.
They warned that such terrorist acts and deteriorating law and order situation may compel the existing potential investors - both domestic and foreign - to rethink over their future investment plans in the country.
They urged the federal and provincial governments to devote their total concentration on the law and order situation and ensure protection of life and property of every citizen.
