KARACHI: The All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries, Karachi chapter on Wednesday come out strongly against the government’s recent increase in fuel prices, condemning it as an “anti-trader, anti-economy” decision that will only deepen the crisis already engulfing Pakistan’s commercial capital.
Led by their President, Mahmood Hamid and senior leadership including Syed Liaquat Ali, Javed Haji Abdullah, Naveed Ahmed, and Usman Sharif, the body rejected the hike of Rs8.36 per litre in petrol and Rs10 in diesel, calling for its immediate reversal. The leaders described the move as a cruel blow delivered just a day after the imposition of Rs463 billion in new taxes through the federal budget. “This shameful fuel price hike will paralyse the economy,” they warned. “It will raise transport and logistics costs, trigger fresh waves of inflation, and make business operations unaffordable—pushing both ordinary citizens and small traders to the brink.”
They painted a bleak picture of Karachi’s civic landscape, already reeling from post-monsoon neglect. “Markets are submerged in filth, with stagnant water still not drained. Roads across commercial centres look like archaeological ruins, battered by decades of neglect. Power outages are routine, and K-Electric’s excessive billing and poor service have become unbearable,” they said.
According to the traders, the sudden spike in fuel prices will only exacerbate these conditions, as transportation of goods becomes costlier, shop rents soar due to electricity adjustments, and consumers cut spending amidst rising living costs.
In particular, they took strong exception to Section 37AA of the new budget, which empowers tax officials to detain traders and recover taxes directly from their accounts. Terming it “draconian and disgraceful,” the leaders said it violates constitutional protections and business ethics. “The tax net cannot be expanded by treating traders like criminals,” they said, warning of a citywide protest movement if the clause is not withdrawn.
The traders dismissed gains in the stock market as “artificial window dressing,” saying real economic progress is impossible without structural support for the business community and proper civic governance. “Karachi is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, but it’s being choked with taxes, fuel hikes, and criminal neglect. This cannot continue. We demand that the government stop punishing the city that pays the country’s bills,” the statement concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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