As a result of the strike, hotels and shops have been closed across a number of areas of Karachi, including Kharadar, Burns Road, Old City, Etihad Town, Baldia Town, and surrounding areas. However, traffic in the port city is operating as usual.
Schools in Karachi have remained closed as a result of the unsteady situation. Additionally, there have been demonstrations across the nation. The demonstrators blocked the road with burning tyres in Raees Amrohi in Orangi Town.
Similar to this, a protest rally was held in Rahim Yar Khan’s Khanpur and Sadiqabad neighbourhoods, and the demonstrators blocked the roads by torching tyres and erecting other barriers.
Trade was still not being conducted in Dadu, Mirpur Mathelo, Obaro, Daharki, Ghotki, and Khuzdar, which cost the business community a great deal of money. However, all of Khushab’s trade centres and markets remained open as usual after the traders association declared it was not affiliated with the TLP’s call for a strike.
Local merchants have made the decision to keep their retail locations open on the day of the strike, according to a statement from Malik Wajahat Mehboob Awan, the leader of the Young Tajir Group. He counselled the religious party against using further losses on the traders as a way to demonstrate their political power.
Wajahat also asked his fellow businessmen to avoid answering any such calls and to continue operating their establishments without fear. The local government, which is required to ensure the security of the city’s business community, is how he promised the traders he would defend their rights against any kind of adventurism.
The business community, which is already dealing with the economic crisis the nation has been going through for the last few months, has suffered significant losses as a result of the strike. On Monday, the TLP called for a nationwide strike in protest of the rising price of goods.
It will be interesting to see how things play out over the next few days and whether the government acts to allay the worries of the traders and the general populace.
