KARACHI: The Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) has announced its full support for the
nationwide peaceful strike called by the business community on July 19, under the leadership of the
Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).
KATI President Junaid Naqi said the traders' decision to strike is both timely and justified, accurately
reflecting the sentiments of the business community. He criticized the government's recent fiscal
measures, introduced in the Finance Act, as anti-business and damaging to the economic environment.
“The policies being implemented are harsh, unrealistic, and simply unacceptable to traders, SMEs, and
industrialists,” Naqi said. “Restrictions on cash transactions, arbitrary arrest powers, and the imposition
of digital invoicing are alarming signals for businesses.”
He further stated that these unilateral decisions by policymakers, made without consulting stakeholders,
demonstrate a lack of foresight and are pushing the economy toward informality and disorganization.
Naqi urged the government to immediately review and revise the controversial clauses of the Finance
Act and to initiate meaningful dialogue with the business community. He emphasized that organizations
linked to industry and commerce across the country, including KATI, stand in solidarity with this peaceful
protest to send a clear message to the government: the interests of the business sector cannot be
ignored.
“This is more than just a protest, it is a collective struggle to safeguard the economy,” he added. “The
entire business community is united in this cause.”
ADVERTISEMENT
