Electricity, water crises: Traders decide to stage sit-in protest in next week

SITE Association of Industry on Saturday announced to launch the protest movement against power outages and water crises in the industrial area. The extraordinary general meeting of the association was poorly attended by the members as rather than industrialists themselves they sent their representatives, which provoked Chairman Association Javed Bilwani to lash out at the industrialists for being non-serious.
The severe water crisis and prolonged water shortages have been causing immense losses to the industries in the area, but no remedial measures have been taken to reverse it after repeated appeals and attempts to federal and provincial governments to resolve these chronic issues.
Following lengthy deliberations, the house agreed to assemblies outside Karachi Press Club next week to hold protest demonstrations as well as publishing the advertisements in the national press inscribed with the appeals to redress water and power woes of the area. "During the next week's protests we would also issue ultimatum to the government and would chalk out the future strategy if our demands were not met and issues were not resolved", Javed Bilwani declared at the conclusion of the meeting.
Earlier, when the meeting set in, a poor participation received harsh comments from Chairman Association, who looked visibly perturbed over the apathy of the members of the association. "This is the reason that nobody cares about our issues and knows that they have no unity in their ranks to get their matter resolved", Bilwani stated.
He lambasted the members for being silent spectators despite the fact the industries in SITE area passing through worst crisis at the hands of acute water and power shortages. Some members even suggested holding protest at Karachi Airport when Prime Minister would land in Karachi next week. Some argued for entering into red zone to stage a sit-in in front of Governor House.
Former Chairman SITE Association Younas Habib remarked, "Enough is enough. How long we would endure this situation. Industrialists should come out on roads and should not be afraid of being arrested if they want redressel of their issues.
Another Former Chairman SITE Zubair Motiwala suggested that we should go for the protest by adopting step-by-step approach.
Finally, the meeting evolved the consensus on a protest movement to start with the staging of sit-in at KPC next week. Chairman Bilwani appealed to the members to come out in larger number to reach at KPC for stating the protest.