Wholesale markets in Karachi to observe strike against administrative crackdown

Key Takeaways

Wholesale grocery markets across Karachi will remain closed on Wednesday.
The strike is called by the Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA) over alleged excessive fines and arrests of traders.
Traders warn that the protest could expand if demands for an end to illegal actions are not met.

Wholesale grocery markets across Karachi will observe a one-day strike on Wednesday, according to the Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA). The decision comes in response to what traders describe as an 'excessive' administrative crackdown on flour wholesalers.

KWGA Chairman Abdul Rauf Ibrahim criticized the administration’s method of enforcing official flour prices. He stated that wholesalers are being arrested, heavily fined, and having their shops sealed for allegedly higher flour prices. 'Arresting wholesalers, imposing heavy fines, sealing shops and harassing traders on the pretext of higher flour prices is unacceptable,' he said.

The strike will affect major wholesale markets in Karachi, including Jodia Bazar, Lea Market, Dandia Bazar, Nanakwara, Landhi, Malir, Korangi, and Liaquatabad. KWGA Chairman Ibrahim warned that the closure could disrupt the nationwide supply chain as these markets dispatch large quantities of grains and grocery items to different parts of the country.

Traders are demanding an immediate end to what they call illegal actions against them, the reopening of sealed shops, and a transparent and lawful procedure for imposing fines. The KWGA also warned that the protest could be expanded if its demands are not met.

Sindh Tajir Ittehad President Jamil Paracha criticized the commissioner’s price-control campaign but clarified that his organization would not join Wednesday's strike as it had not been invited by the KWGA. He said several traders had been detained and many shops sealed during the ongoing drive, but his group represents traders in Karachi’s old city markets.

The strike comes amid an intensified campaign by the Sindh Food Department and district administration against wholesale warehouses and flour mills. According to official figures, more than 85,000 tonnes of wheat have been recovered from alleged hoarders across Sindh in recent days. Authorities say the operation has significantly reduced flour prices from their recent peak.

The KWGA's decision is part of a broader movement against what traders perceive as an unjust crackdown by the administration. They argue that flour mills, not traders, are responsible for higher prices and demand action against them instead.

'Arresting wholesalers, imposing heavy fines, sealing shops and harassing traders on the pretext of higher flour prices is unacceptable,'
Abdul Rauf Ibrahim, KWGA Chairman