KARACHI: Jodia Bazaar, the country’s largest wholesale grain market, will remain closed on Wednesday as traders launch a citywide protest against government action over flour prices. The strike has raised immediate concerns of a nationwide shortage of essential food items.
Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA) Chairman Rauf Ibrahim announced that the shutdown will extend well beyond Jodia Bazaar. Other major wholesale grain markets including Lea Market, Dandia Bazaar, Nanak Wara, Landhi, Malir, Korangi, and Liaquatabad will also suspend all operations.
Traders Allege Extortion and Harassment
The association accused local authorities of targeting wholesale traders under the guise of price control. According to Ibrahim, shopkeepers are facing:
- Unjustified arrests and shop sealings.
- Heavy fines ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 150,000.
- A lack of official paperwork, with officials allegedly refusing to provide copies of the challans (fines).
In a serious allegation of corruption, Ibrahim claimed that instead of official receipts, enforcement officers are instructing traders to deposit the fine money directly into private Easypaisa mobile accounts.
Traders have declared the administrative measures “unacceptable” and state that markets will not reopen until their grievances are addressed.
