Sindh Grand Hotel and Restaurant Association says around 400 hotels closed on commissioner’s orders
KARACHI:
The All Sindh Grand Association of Hotels and Restaurants on Wednesday staged a protest against the Karachi commissioner’s drive to seal chai dhabas (tea stalls), fast food joints and barbecue joints across the city in a crackdown on encroachments.
Most dhabas and restaurants in the city remained closed, causing inconvenience to citizens, especially in the early hours of the morning, when many struggled to get their morning caffeine fix.
Members of the association staged a protest in front of the Karachi Press Club, which was attended by a large number of hotel owners and employees. The demonstrators brandished signs highlighting their demands and condemning the ongoing operations against restaurants and cafes.
Later speaking at a press conference, association president Haji Noor-ul-Haq, President Jafar Shah and representatives Haji Ramzan and Wali Khan said there were more than 14,000 chai dhabas in Karachi, each employing more than 10 workers.
Restaurant and hotel owners and workers protest outside the press club against the closure of chai dhabas, fast food restaurants and barbecue shops. Photo: Express
They alleged that under the orders of the Karachi Commissioner, the deputy and deputy commissioners had closed around 400 outlets as part of an anti-encroachment operation. “These hotels only sell chai and paratha. Many have been closed for more than a week. It is economic murder,” the executives said.
They added that encroachments are not limited to restaurants and cafes alone and that while anti-encroachment actions are positive in principle, targeting small outlets harms the poor and middle class who depend on them. The association claimed that authorities not only sealed cafes and restaurants, but also confiscated their furniture, electrical appliances and other equipment.
Learn more: Karachi’s late night tea bars, fast food spots in the hot water
The association stressed that it places chairs and tables outside stores late at night, when traffic is light. Additionally, there have been no public complaints or court applications against these hangouts that provide a gathering point for people to unwind after a stressful day.
With the increasing number of anxious and depressed patients in the city, grappling with water, electricity and gas outages, potholed roads and collapsed law and order, these dhabas provide mental relief to citizens, they said.
The association appealed to the CM, chief secretary and commissioner to stop the operation and resolve the issue through negotiation. A meeting with the Karachi commissioner is scheduled for today (Thursday), which the association hopes will result in a resolution. “If the problem is not resolved,” the leaders warned, “we will launch a nationwide protest.”
