KARACHI: Members of a delegation from Jama Alliance Market Association (JAMA), while expressing deep concerns over rising incidents of thefts in the Jama Markets and the poor behavior of police officers in dealing with shopkeepers, requested the Karachi Chamber to take up this serious issue with the high-ups in police department in order to put an end to the highhandedness of police officers. They also sought KCCI’s help in deployment of women police officers at Jama Markets where incidents of thefts were widely being reported everyday and all of them were being carried out by women culprits.
The help was sought at a meeting during the visit of JAMA delegation to Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) which was led by Chairman JAMA Sheikh Muhammad Irshad. President KCCI Muhammad Idrees, Senior Vice President KCCI Abdul Rehman Naqi, Vice President KCCI Qazi Zahid Hussain, Chairman of KCCI’s Special Committee for Small Traders Majeed Memon and Managing Committee Members also attended the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman JAMA Sheikh Muhammad Irshad pointed out that shopkeepers of Jama were worst sufferers of lockdowns and to date, they haven’t recovered from the losses, leading to closure of many shops. These shopkeepers have been facing immense hence, it was very necessary that the government should look into the possibility of extending interest-free financing facility to them so that they could stay afloat. “Jama Alliance Market Association can be engaged as guarantor in the process of interest-free financing and we will recommend only those trustworthy shopkeepers who would certainly payback all their debts”, he said, adding that this financing facility was desperately needed for survival of business at Jama Market which was the oldest market of the country.
While referring to anti-encroachment drive, he said that around 192 shops of Jinnah Market mostly engaged in frame-making and Dupatta (scarf) dying businesses were razed and to date, these displaced shopkeepers have not received alternate shops. KCCI should take up this issue with Sindh with a view to provide relief to perturbed shopkeepers and their families.
President KCCI Muhammad Idrees, in his remarks, informed that KCCI was in constant touch with Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon and Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab and Additional Inspector General Yaqub Minhas who will soon be visiting KCCI to discuss numerous issues. “We will invite JAMA members to these meetings where they will get a perfect opportunity to highlight their grievances directly in front of decision makers and seek resolution of their problems”, he added.
