KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi General Secretary, Arslan Khalid, has issued a stern warning over the disruption of supply chains and the sealing of wholesale markets in the city, expressing full support for the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association's demands. He has called for an end to what he describes as the harassment of traders and urged the reopening of sealed shops.

According to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Khalid criticized the local administration, singling out the Commissioner Karachi's refusal to engage with the business community as an instance of "bureaucratic arrogance." He accused assistant commissioners of being disconnected from the realities on the ground, alleging that despite the cooperation of importers, the administration is retaliating by imposing fines and targeting shopkeepers under the pretense of enforcing official pricing.

Khalid emphasized that managing the national economy and local markets through force is unsustainable. He warned that the closure of wholesale markets threatens to cause food shortages across the country, with inflation-burdened citizens ultimately bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict with traders.

He further asserted that the strike in Karachi has revealed the government's antagonistic stance towards traders, cautioning that the entire nation could face repercussions if Karachi's business community is marginalized. Khalid called on the administration to abandon its intransigent position, initiate dialogue, and reopen all sealed shops. He made it clear that if the harassment of traders persists, PTI is prepared to mobilize street protests to combat what he termed as the economic destruction of Karachi.