KARACHI, Dec 29: Hopefully on Monday, when business in Karachi and other parts of country resumes, after more than 90 hours suspension, caused by the assassination of Pakistan’s popular political leader in Rawalpindi on Saturday evening, bankers, insurance executives, shopkeepers, bus owners and ordinary citizens will count the losses they suffered from loot, arson shop breaking during Thursday-Friday night till Saturday.
“Monetary losses may be quantified and may be compensated partially or fully,’’ remarked a shopkeeper in old town area of the city. But he asked who will restore his shattered confidence.
His complaint is that no one is giving answer to his question as to why his shop was looted and who did it.
As a shopkeeper, he knows activists of many political parties of his area and enjoys perfect civil relationship with them as their neighbours.
“Political workers mourn the death of their leaders, beat their chests, raise slogans against government’s ineffectiveness in protecting their leader’s life, but in no way cause harm to fellow citizens,’’ he declared.
What happened on Thursday-Friday night, on streets of Karachi that continued till Saturday sporadically, after bomb blast and firing on Thursday evening at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi, was a replay of similar riots witnessed during last few years after bomb explosions.
It happened after bomb explosion in a Sindh Madressah mosque, Jacob Lines Imambargah and many other places of worships.
Within minutes after such devastating explosions, the police and law enforcers disappear from roads and streets and stone pelting crowds take over. Public transport and private vehicles are damaged and shops are put on fire in all such riots. It was much more intense and widespread this time since Thursday-Friday night.
In Karachi, hundreds of private cars were put on fire after the drivers and occupants were robbed and forced to come out.
“Why were police and rangers not seen on Thursday-Friday evening on roads and streets of Karachi when people were being robbed, private and public vehicles were being set on fire, banks and ATMs were being looted’’? This is a question which begs for an answer from those who day in and day out speak of enforcing government’s writ.
On Saturday morning, this correspondent counted about 10 burnt down abandoned public transport vehicles from Golimar-Laiqatabad chowrangi to the bridge. Shops, banks and private offices were looted and road was littered with half burnt furniture and stationary items. All gas stations and petrol pumps were closed. Roads were turned into playgrounds, as all the way from Garden to Federal B Area boys were playing cricket. This points to a social problem which perhaps is also a cause of the lawlessness witnessed during all these years.
The size of Pakistan’s economy is now said to be close to Rs10 trillion (160 billion dollars) claim top economic managers of the country. But how much loss the poor and middle income group people have suffered in these last three days because of loot and plunder and closure of business cannot perhaps be quantified by these gentlemen.
There is no count as to how many patients failed to reach hospitals in time in the last three days because of suspension of ambulance service.
Even ambulances were not spared by those who took over the control of city and as many as two dozens were set on fire.
Closure of gas stations and petrol pumps immobilised these ambulances. Medical stores were closed and hence no medicines for many patients.
Karachi is a city of 18 million that did not receive vegetables, fruits and provisions from the upcountry on Friday and Saturday. While the consumers did not get provisions, the wholesale and retail merchants in Karachi and suppliers in upcountry suffered.
Karachi merchants had nothing to sell and suppliers in upcountry had no transport. End result was piling up of inventory of perishables and hence loss. No authentic figure on milk consumption in Karachi is available. But for two and three days, most of the milk outlets were closed.
And finally, the daily wage earners — plumbers, electricians, painters, masons etc., — remained idle for more than a week because of Eid and then outbreak of law and order. Also working on piece basis and on daily wages are hundreds and thousands of workers in readymade garments’ factories, textile units, leather goods, sport and surgical items.
A majority of them could not reach their places of work or just because the factories did not open. Many of them lost export orders booked earlier because of non compliance.
The question is will the GDP of 2007-08 reflect the losses suffered by these people. Will the economic survey estimate impact of more than three days business closure on per capita income, unemployment and poverty alleviation.
