Meat Merchants of Karachi Turned Into Black Marketers

As Ramzan commenced, meat merchants warned the government to revise pricing policy or else they would be forced to shut down businesses. 

Meat Merchants Welfare Association (MMWA) said if raids against meat sellers continued and pricing policy was not amended, they would bring the service to a halt.

MMWA officials said this in a press conference at Karachi Press Club as they lashed out at government for forcing them to sell meat at official rates which were fixed nearly seven years ago.

Along with General Secretary of the Association Sikandar Iqbal Qureshi, Finance Secretary Siraj Qureshi, Secretary Shahid Hussain Qureshi, Kamil Qureshi, Haroon Qureshi, Haji Abdullah, Arif Qureshi, and others also participated in the conference.

The general secretary raised questions on the government’s policy for arresting merchants who refused to sell meat at official rates fixed around seven years ago.

He expressed the government did not keep under consideration the rate of inflation during the period and wanted them to continue selling the commodity at the same rates.

The general secretary said the government should ensure meat supply to the merchants at reasonable rates if it wanted delivery of the commodity to people at the price it fixed.

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Qureshi said goods were getting expensive every day but the government was issuing licenses for meat and livestock exports which was creating a dearth in the local market.

The dealers buy animals at expensive rates and it affects the entire chain until the consumer end.

Sikandar said, “The administration is imposing exorbitant fines on the meat sellers”.

Concluding the presser, the general secretary forewarned the government that they would stop selling meat as the current demeanor had left the merchants in a lurch.

They requested the government to revise the pricing policy and ensure availability of livestock at reasonable rates.