Some 32 furniture markets of the city on Friday observed complete shutter-down strike in protest against the killing of a furniture dealer, Saleem Anwar Shaikh, traders said.
The markets which remained closed were Arambagh furniture market, Ibn-e-Sena furniture markets at Liaquatabad, Nursery furniture market, Hassan Square furniture market, Gulshan-e-Iqbal furniture market, Defence Phase II furniture market, Coast Guard Rd furniture market, Al-Asif Square furniture market, Liaquat furniture market Malir, Aisha Manzil furniture market, and others.
The Karachi Furniture Dealers Group (KFDG) had given the shutter-down strike call against the non-arrest of killers of furniture trader Saleem Anwar, who was killed by unknown persons after failing to abduct him for ransom on April 29.
His killing sparked unrest among the traders' community for increasing street crimes rate, as daytime robbery and killing incidents also increased in the city. Traders also held protest demonstration and a press conference for the arrest of killers.
Government's failure to arrest the killers impelled the traders to observe shutter-down strike to press their demands including arrest of culprits and airtight security at commercial and trade centers of the city, traders said.
Traders expressed strong resentment against the increasing street crimes and killings and, in protest, they kept their businesses shut, said Atiq Mir, chairman of KFDG. He said that street crimes were being carried out under complete support of police department, which protects the culprits by various means.
He demanded that reforms on war footing should be introduced in police department, as the department has fallen apathetic and following the procedures of colonial age. The Department should also be harnessed with the latest technology, he maintained and added that well-trained police can only scale down street crimes in the country.