Traders demand apology from KCCI for terming AKTI 'fake body'

Small traders have warned the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) of launching agitations for calling their trade organisations fake, saying that the Chamber leadership should act prudently and tender an apology.
"Calling about 500 different trade organisations fake is sheer humiliation for the small traders, and all of us want an unconditional apology from the KCCI leadership," said President of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (AKTI), Muhammad Atiq Mir.
He said that the statement from the KCCI leadership was uncalled for and triggered a mass discontentment among the struggling small traders of the metropolis. "The imprudent leadership of the chamber, which had been imposed on small traders, should recognise,and respect, the others' views on issues and should not appear hostile to their existence and interests," he criticised.
He said that the traders were greatly angry and want to protest against the chamber leadership for the statement, and added that they felt that their existence had been at stake as the city's prime trade entity emerged hostile to them. Atiq said traders want to stage protest demonstrations and sit-ins in front the KCCI building till a formal apology its leadership did not offer.
He condemned the statement, which he called "derogatory", saying KCCI had no discretion to dub 500 trade organisations fake. "The small traders do not need certificate for the authenticity and being genuine from KCCI which had largely even itself depended on them," President of AKTI said.
He said KCCI had deceived the small traders for making them part of the chamber's entity for 10 years and how could it realised all of a sudden that now these organisations were fake. He said the issue was serious enough and the chamber should revisit its statement before it was too late.
He blamed some members for using KCCI for their personal agenda and there had been an overwhelming individual thinking that had led it to the inevitable disaster, which the chamber was clearly facing. "KCCI should work for the betterment of trade and industry instead of playing politics with small traders," he advised.
He said KCCI leadership had done nothing for the small traders who had been struggling since last one year for several issues like long hours' power load shedding, extortion and life threats to traders. "KCCI should offer its apology to the small traders or be ready for a bitter response like agitation and sit-ins," Atiq warned.