Karachi Wholesale Markets Strike Over Flour Price Crackdown

Wholesale grocery markets across Karachi will remain closed on Wednesday as traders observe a one-day strike. The strike, called by the Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA), is in protest against what they describe as an “excessive” administrative crackdown on flour wholesalers.

Major wholesale markets, including Jodia Bazar, Lea Market, Dandia Bazar, Nanakwara, Landhi, Malir, Korangi, and Liaquatabad, are expected to shut down. KWGA Chairman Abdul Rauf Ibrahim stated that the closure could disrupt the nationwide supply chain of grains and grocery items to various parts of the country.

Ibrahim criticized the administration’s methods of enforcing official flour prices, highlighting that wholesalers are being arrested, heavily fined, and having their shops sealed. He alleged that fines ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 150,000 are being collected via an EasyPaisa number without official receipts or challans, which he described as alarming and lacking transparency.

The KWGA Chairman argued that wholesalers are being unfairly targeted, insisting that flour mills, not traders, are responsible for higher prices. The association has demanded an immediate end to what it terms “illegal action” against traders, the reopening of sealed shops, and a transparent and lawful procedure for imposing fines, warning that the protest could be expanded if their demands are not met.

Separately, Sindh Tajir Ittehad President Jamil Paracha also criticized the commissioner’s price-control campaign, stating that excessive powers are being used to book traders and impose heavy fines, even in narrow market lanes. He added that several traders have been detained, and many shops have been sealed and penalized.