A shutterdown strike was observed by traders prompted by steep electricity bills and inflation, both of which have reached unprecedented levels.Earlier this week, Jamaat-i-Islami had called on traders and citizens to participate in Saturday’s strike in Karachi in protest against the escalating inflation.
Speaking to media, JI spokesperson Zahid Askari said that the strike was conducted “peacefully”. He mentioned that transporters had voluntarily suspended their operations.
Askari also claimed that none of the party workers were resorting to violence in any part of the city to force the closure of businesses, adding that transport on the roads was also thin in response to the strike call.Likewise, Atiq Mir, the chairman of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (AKTI), stated that the organisation had issued a call for a two-day shutter-down strike yesterday and today to protest against the inflated electricity bills and the overall surge in inflation.
“We also conveyed to the shopkeepers that participation in the strike was voluntary, recognising the financial challenges faced by all of us during these trying times,” he told media.Mir disclosed that markets were currently closed, and the full extent of the strike’s impact would become evident in the afternoon, which is when businesses typically reopen in accordance with the city’s cultural norms.
