Representatives of different markets associations across Karachi, while completely rejecting the allegations against Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) by 'so-called' Karachi Tajir Ittehad, termed all these allegations as 'totally baseless' and said that they were, they are and they will remain fully united under the umbrella of Karachi Chamber.
Speaking at a meeting organised by All Karachi Anjuman-e-Tajiran Ittehad (AKATI), Small Traders of Karachi unanimously supported Karachi Chamber's decision pertaining to extending shops/ markets closing timings by two hours up to 9:00pm with an additional leniency period of 1 more hour for shopkeepers to completely shut down their business premises by 10:00pm.
The meeting was attended by President All Karachi Anjuman-e-Tajiran Ittehad Rafiq Jadoon, President Traders Welfare Association Tariq Road Muhammad Aslam Bhatti, General Secretary AKATI Muhammad Ilyas Memon, President All Beeri Manufacturers Association Saifur Rehman, President Mithadar Merchants Association Naeem Akhter Zaki, Founder Chairman All Sindh Lubricants Dealers Association Tariq Awan, President Noorani Welfare Association Abdul Hameed Baadla, representative of Quaidabad-Landhi-Malir Markets Javed Arsalan Khan, representative of Babar Market Landhi Rashid Ali Shah, Joint Secretary AKATI Abdul Jabbar, representative of Garden Markets Asif Shahzad, representatives from Aiwan-e-Tijarat Road Khurram Saigal and Latif Sanghiane, representatives of Saddar Alliance of Markets Association Ashraf Motalani, Arif Quettawala and Naseem Yousuf, representatives of Kaghazee Bazaar Sikandar Dupattaywala and Saleem Siraj, representative of Motandas Market Nasir, representative of Jama Cloth Market Irshad and others.
The meeting participants, while strongly condemning the recent statements, said that the deceitful elements behind such misleading statements have established Tajir Ittehads, Alliances and Business Forums etc, which were totally illegal and they have established these platforms with an intention to get cheap publicity.
They said that there was a time when these elements gave statements pertaining to supporting strike calls by a political party but nowadays, as the situation has completely changed and the Sindh government along with Law Enforcement Agencies have expressed firm resolve not to allow any strikes in Karachi, these Tajir Ittehads and Alliances find no other option to get cheap publicity, but to somehow sabotage the image of Karachi Chamber by giving misleading and baseless statements. They will not succeed in attaining their 'filthy' objectives as small traders remain fully united at Karachi Chamber which has been effectively rising since last two decades under the leadership of Chairman Businessmen Group and Former President KCCI Siraj Kassam Teli, they added.
AKATI meeting participants reiterated that the only intention of these fake Ittehads and alliances was to get cheap publicity as they neither have done anything beyond this, nor have the capacity to do anything hence, the media must act responsibly and discourage such elements for the sake of retaining their credibility.
They said that Karachi Chamber was the only institution which has been actively raising voice for the rights of small traders under Businessmen Group's clear policy of 'Public Service' which has resulted in restoring the confidence of entire business and industrial community, particularly small traders.-PR