KARACHI: Leaders of trade unions of Sindh have announced to open businesses from April 15 (tomorrow). The markets across the province were shut down after lockdown was imposed by the provincial government in March.

On one hand number of coronavirus patients are sharply increasing in the province and on the other hand traders are perturbed due to the losses they suffer as a result of the lockdown. In a joint press conference in Karachi, trade union leaders including Sindh Tajir Ittehad Chairman Jameel Paracha, President Anjuman Tajiran Sindh Javed Shams, All City Tajir Ittehad President Sharjeel Goplani, Small Traders President Mahmood Hamid and Karachi Electronics Dealers Association President Rizwan Irfan announced that businesses would open on Wednesday.

Trade union leaders said that the government had failed to make people sit at homes, therefore if the government was serious about the rising number of coronavirus cases then they should impose a curfew. They said the government should take a decision after deliberation. It had been 28 days since their businesses were closed, they said.

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Situation of traders was bad from Karachi to Kashmore and the order of reduction in school fees was not implemented.

“We will open businesses tomorrow and ensure all the precautionary measures. We do not want to go towards civil disobedience. We are ready to be arrested, if the government desires so. We will have to submit our shops’ keys to the Sindh Chief Minister House, if lockdown is further extended,” they said.

The traders asked the provincial and federal governments to pay salaries to their employees. They also asked the prime minister to take notice of the situation. “The government talks about opening construction and other industries, while small traders are dying from hunger. We appeal to the army chief and chief justice to please help us,” they maintained.

It may be noted that the number of patients infected with coronavirus has surpassed 1400 and death toll has reached to 31 in Sindh.