Karachi's business community observes shutter down strike in solidarity with Palestine

In a show of solidarity with Palestinians, the business community in Karachi has announced its participation in a global strike being observed on Monday (today) to protest Israel's atrocities in Gaza.

The ongoing war started on October 7, 2023, leaving more than 50,695 killed while several sustained injuries in the Israeli bombing. 

Several traders’ associations in Karachi decided to stage a demonstration to express their support for the unarmed and vulnerable Palestinian population.

Head of the Karachi Timber Market Association, Sharjeel Goplani, announced that the market will remain closed on Monday, April 7, as the business community will observe of unity and solidarity with the victims of mass killings in Gaza.

Read: Rocket barrage from Hamas leaves three injured in Israel

Emphasising the need to boycott international products, the President of the Jodia Bazar Karachi wholesale grocers association Abdul Rauf Ibrahim urged business associations across Pakistan to unite for the rights of Palestinians. 

“How long will we remain silent? How long will we fail to stand for Gaza? I appeal to businessmen across the country, in every province, to join the global strike for Gaza,” Ibrahim said in a message.

He further appealed to the business community nationwide to observe a shutter-down strike as a gesture of religious unity and moral responsibility.

Similarly, the Karachi Mobile and Electronic Dealers Association (KEDA) also supported the strike.

A statement shared on Tuesday stated that alongside the shutter-down strike, the traders would not only observe the shutter-down strike but also stage a protest on Abdullah Haroon Road.

Read: ‘Gaza is breathing its last breath,’ health official warns

Notably, Palestine will observe a general strike on Monday in protest against Israel’s aggression in Gaza. 

WAFA agency of Palestine reported that “the national and Islamic forces called for the success of the global strike, emphasiaing the need to raise the voice of resistance and highlight the horrific massacres and crimes committed by Israeli forces.”

Moreover, the statement stressed the importance of uniting local and global efforts to end Israeli atrocities in Gaza and continue demanding accountability for the violations of international law and the rights of Palestinians.