Traders unlikely to join strike against loadshedding

Traders are unlikely to join the political parties' wheel-jammed strike on June 3 Friday against the increasing electricity loadshedding in the metropolis, saying the action would further cause losses to the national exchequer and create problems for public.
However, they supported the cause of the strike, as power outages in the city had been a major issue, crippling trade activities on a daily basis particularly in hot weather conditions, when uninterrupted electricity was badly needed.
Traders appealed to the political parties particularly Awami National Party (ANP) to review the decision of the strike despite the cause was "honest" to hold Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) accountable for its failure.
President ANP Sindh Chapter, Shahi Syed has announced a citywide strike against, what he called, "an artificial electricity crisis". He blamed the company's management for not paying heed to the public complaints on power outages and faults in electricity transmission lines, which continued to cause blackouts in many parts of the city for several days.
He alleged the private electricity provider for plunging the city into dark. He also slammed the PPP-led coalition, which his party is also a part, for not being responsive to the major public matters.
Talking to Business Recorder on Wednesday, Chairman All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, Muhammad Atiq Mir showed his support to the cause of the strike but opposed the strike because the move would rather disturb the already problems-hit public and traders.
He said the strike call was an "unjustified and emotional" decision of the political party and appealed ANP to revisit the call and urged it to draw a long-protest plan against the power cuts and other social issues of the city.
He said the political parties should also include traders who were also suffering huge financial losses due to the unavailability of the utility. He maintained the political party should also make efforts to solve the ongoing dispute between the strikers and KESC.
Atiq Mir said the strike would further reduce tax collection to the national treasury and inflict financial losses on the traders. He urged ANP to envisage a plan to do something beneficial for citizens beyond strikes, which never worked to solve problems.
He said traders would welcome a joint long-term protest programme of political parties but were against the everyday strike calls. "There should be a plan to hold the utility provider responsible and accountable but believe me strikes would make no difference at all," the traders' leader said.
Different political and religious parties have already announced their support to the ANP called strike on June 3, Friday in the city. The parties would support the call are PML-N, PML-Q, Jamat-e-Islami, PPI, PPP-SB, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Jeay Sindh Quami Mahaz, JUI-F, Awami Tehreek, Sindh National Party, Sindh Mahaz National Party, Sindh Peoples Bureau, Awami Liberation Federation, Balochistan National Party and others, besides transporters.