Wholesalers in Karachi are set to stage a market shutdown on Monday in protest of what they consider unlawful raids and penalties imposed by the district administration in an effort to combat hoarding.
According to ARY News, Rauf Ibrahim, the Chairman of the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), held a press conference today, expressing concern that the district administration’s actions have created fear among traders due to shop and go-down closures.
He cautioned that they would cease operations at wholesale markets on Monday unless the district administration unseals these establishments. He said if these unjust raids and fines persist, we will suspend commodity markets on Monday.
Ibrahim alleged that the district administration is sealing shops and go-downs under the pretext of cracking down on hoarding. He cited an instance where a shop owner in Joria Bazar was fined Rs30,000 for storing just two sacks of sugar.
He criticised the categorisation of wholesalers with 100 to 500 sacks of sugar as hoarders and stressed that traders are willing to cooperate with authorities during hoarding crackdowns.
Ibrahim urged the administration to take decisive action against genuine hoarders.
To combat hoarding, federal and provincial governments have initiated operations in various cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, and Dera Ismail Khan, resulting in the confiscation of illegally stockpiled sugar.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) assured that there is an ample supply of sugar available at controlled prices nationwide.
