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KARACHI: Traders have demanded to relax lockdown restriction for businesses and also unsealed some markets that had been sealed after a surge in Covid-19 cases in the metropolis.
Traders’ representatives threatened to launch a ‘jail bharo’ (fill the jails) movement if their demand to relax restriction for businesses in the metropolis during COVID-19 lockdown is not accepted.
Traders Association representatives said that they had asked for the lockdown to be postponed until after Eid because the food supply chain would be disrupted, but the administration refused.
Jamil Paracha said that last year also the traders had suffered a great loss and so far they could not even realize that the Eid season was being spoiled again.
“The month of Ramadan is approaching and international conspiracies have been launched to turn Muslims away from the religion,” he said. It would be better if the government did not become part of this conspiracy, he suggested.
“We all trade unions, have come together on one platform and are now launching a civil disobedience movement against the lockdown. Opening a business is a matter of life and death for us,” he added.
They said traders would begin agitation, but added that there is no fixed date in place in this regard and one would be made after consultation with other traders.
On the other hand, government officials said that visitors and shopkeepers in markets have not complied with SOPs introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus. People are not practicing social distancing and wearing masks and markets have not provided handwashing facilities or sanitizers.
The administration has identified hotspots where a high number of cases are being reported, and has no choice but to enforce lockdowns, the officials said.
