Wholesalers in Karachi have declared a market shutdown in protest against the rate list issued by the commissioner. The decision was made during an emergency meeting of the wholesalers’ body in Karachi, with shopkeepers from Jodia Bazar, the city’s largest wholesale market, rejecting the commissioner’s rate list and announcing the closure of the market.
Abdul Rauf Ibrahim, Chairman of the Wholesale Grocers Association, emphasized that if the commissioner wants commodities to be sold according to his rate list, he must ensure their delivery. He questioned how sugar, with an ex-mill rate of Rs134 per kg, could be sold at Rs123 per kg in the wholesale market. Rauf expressed concerns over daily losses amounting to millions and announced the shutdown of the wholesale market effective immediately. This decision may lead to a shortage of essential commodities in the city just before the beginning of the Holy month of Ramzan.
