KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday supported the business community of Karachi for whatever decision it takes for re-opening their shops and businesses.

"The business community of Karachi would decide when it has to resume their work. It wouldn't be decided by the representatives of Dadu," Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, convener of MQM-P, stated at a press conference along with the leaders of business and trade associations of Karachi.

Siddiqui said that his party would reopen the city if the prime minister wanted to do so.

"If the prime minister didn't think lockdown a solution to prevent spread of Covid-19, then he should decide, and the businessmen of Karachi would themselves reopen the city," Siddiqui asserted.

The MQM-P convener also came down hard on the provincial government of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in Sindh and requested the national institutions to look into the measures of what he called "the racist provincial government" by demanding lifting of complete lockdown.

Siddiqui also drew the attention of the federal government towards the option of "governor's rule" in Sindh.

"Is this option not mentioned in the Constitution?" he asked.

Siddiqui said that the federal government didn't favour lockdown whereas the provincial government in Sindh considered it a solution against Covid-19.

He deplored the fact that instead of providing relief to the shopkeepers, they are being fined and jailed.

He said that the trading community of Karachi should be exempted from tax as well as from utility bills, and they should be provided with interest-free loans.

He also questioned the lockdown which was being enforced strictly in some areas and in other areas the business activity was going on.

Jameel Paracha, chairman of the Sindh Tajir Ittehad, requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan to order lifting of the lockdown and declare that it would not be possible for the Sindh government to stop the traders if it didn't lift the ban in two to three days.

He considered smart lockdown the only option if patients of the coronavirus were increasing in a certain area. Sharjeel Goplani said that the businessmen in Karachi were being burdened by closing of their trade.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021