News Desk
KARACHI: A delegation of All Pakistan Caterers, Decorators & Event Organizers Association (Registered) headed by its Chairman Haji Qais Mansoor Sheikh met with Atiq Mir Chairman All Karachi Tajir Ittehad at the offices of Tajir Itthehad. This delegation of All Pakistan Caterers Decorators & Event Organizers Association met with a single point agenda and that was of ‘lifting-up suspension that was placed on their business on 14th March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic’.
Members of this delegation, who had called on to meet Atiq Mir were Haji Qais Mansoor Sheikh Rao Muhammad Waqas President, Junaid-ur-Rahman Vice President, Junaid Hanif Senior Vice President, Haji Bashir Ahmed General Secretary, Mohsin Gondal Information Secretary and Haji Arshad Rafi Joint Secretary.
Delegation presented an overall overview of their sector and informed that approximately there are around 15,000 caterers & event organizing firms in Pakistan and around 13,000 marriage halls spread all over the country. Effected industries range between 70 ~ 80 and effected people around 15 million (1.5 carror).
Most of the employees are on daily wages and they are on frontline facing wrath from all over. Those on daily-wages are facing depression & un-employment resulting in begging, petty crimes, street crimes and other social crimes also.
Owners aren’t facing any music as they have to face major issues that are of major concern are rentals of ware-houses and shops, utilities bills (electricity, phones, water etc), salaries of employees, fuel & maintenance of vehicles, maintenance of other goods, due amounts on vendors and their house-hold expenditures.
After the meeting with Atiq Mir, Haji Qais Mansoor Sheikh spoke to members of press that were present at that moment. He said; “I would like to use this platform to convey my message to Mr. Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan who had promised 10 million (1 carror) jobs for Pakistanis during election campaign, but you have taken away employment from those who were employed respectfully. By shutting down our sector you are directly responsible for un-employment of 15 million (1.5 carror). You promised to open-up the construction sector, on which we would like to inform you that our sector is much larger than the construction sector, as we are more 2 million (almost 10% of Pakistan population) and around 72 sectors, which are then further divided to their vendors and subsequently their sub-vendors. This goes on and on. We request honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan for lifting-up of suspensions that were placed on us on 14th March 2020. We request that our sector to be open-up immediately from coming Monday 06th July 2020”.
Chairman of All Pakistan Caterers Decorators & Event Organizers Association also had a message for Provincial Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, who had stated earlier that every needy hall-owner, caterer and members of association would get a financial assistance of Rs15,000/-, on which the Chairman said; “we do not need Rs15,000/-, we just want our businesses back to normal, which can only be by opening-up / lifting suspension on our business sector.”
On their future plans, Chairman of All Pakistan Caterers Decorators & Event Organizers Association also said; “we can’t let our employees and vendors starve to death, so we have planned a sit-in on 8 major roads of Karachi. Besides these sit-ins, we are giving concerned authorities time till 10th July 2020, after which we will announce a date of re-opening on businesses.”
Atiq Mir also spoke on this occasion and said; “steps should be taken to lift suspensions on caterers, decorators & event organizers. They have taken the burnt of lockdown very severely and should be given relief now”.
