Mourning day over Safoora carnage: Industries suffer 40 to 50 percent productions losses

The current wave of senseless killings of innocent people in the city, the economic and commercial hub of the country, has dealt a severe below to the national economy to the tune of billion of rupees. Industrial and business activities were badly hit in the city on Thursday due to closure of businesses amid mourning day over the Safoora Chowrangi massacre. The business community estimated that industries suffered losses of billion of rupees in production.
Industrial sector registered considerable production losses on Thursday because of thin attendance of labour force due to non-availability of public transport in metropolis. Majority of workforce remained absent from duties due to non-availability of public transport, representatives of industrial associations of the city said.
They put the production losses ranging between 40-50 percent as well as failure to meet the export commitments by the industry because of inability of labour to reach their workplace. "The industrial sector's problems are multiplying with each passing day and there seems no end to string of difficulties," a leader of business community, who was enraged and dejected over the mounting burden on the industry, complained.
Markets, companies and educational institutions were closed. A number of fuel stations also remained shut causing problems for the few motorists on the road. The industrialists expressed that target killings in Karachi appeared to be rising once again and urged the government to take appropriate measures to protect life and property of people.
President SITE Association of Industry Javed Bilwani estimated that industries in the SITE area suffered around 40 percent losses in production because of thin attendance of workers. He said hardly 50 percent of workers could reach their workplaces, which was the main reason behind the huge losses. President North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) Abdul Rasheed Fodderwalla said that around 70 percent industrial units operated in this industrial estate.