Strike partially disrupts industrial activities
Industrial activities on Saturday displayed a mixed response to the Jamaat-i-Islami’s strike call to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces and to express solidarity with the Palestinian people. The business environment is generally slow on Saturdays, as many multinational companies take a half-day or a full day off. However, export-oriented units operate 24 hours on double shifts to meet export deadlines. However, industries have already been facing raw material shortages for over 10 days owing to a disruption in the supply chain due to the blocking of highways by lawyers and civil society protesting against canal issues as containers and trucks loaded with goods had been stranded at various parts of Sindh. Supply of goods from industries to the markets and distributors was partially hampered as many markets remained closed in the mornings, and some resumed business after 4:00pm.