‘Illegal’ anti-encroachment drive: Small traders threaten protest

KARACHI: The All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Sindh government, threatening to block Liaquatabad’s main highway if action is not taken against Assistant Commissioner Liaquatabad.

At a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday, the organisation’s president Mahmood Hamid demanded the immediate suspension of the official and a judicial inquiry into what he called “illegal actions” and “humiliating treatment” of traders.

Leaders from various market associations, including Usman Sharif, Sharif Memon, Aslam Khan, Babar Bangash, and Saleem Malik, were present.

Hamid accused the assistant commissioner of conducting an operation under the pretext of removing encroachments, during which they ‘illegally’ broke locks of shops, confiscated goods and created an atmosphere of fear.

He highlighted that Karachi’s traders contribute a record Rs3256 billion in taxes annually. Despite this, he said, traders are being harassed while still they are recovering from urban flood damage that has left many markets waterlogged and filled with garbage.

The traders warned that if no notice is taken against the officials within three days, they will be forced to block the Liaquatabad road in protest. They appealed to the city administration to provide a business-friendly environment and protect traders from humiliation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025