Police arrested some traders, including two prominent figures, over violating the lockdown in Karachi on Wednesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The arrests were made as Sindh Tajir Ittehad President Jamil Paracha announced that they would open the markets on the first of Ramazan.

Hammad Punewala and Javed Qureshi were among those who had been arrested; however, the police said they did not detain anyone and the traders jumped into the vehicles on their own.

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Addressing a press conference, the leaders of the traders’ community said they did not want anything except the permission to open their businesses.

Many people are associated with us, they are dying of hunger, we should be allowed to open shops as we are ready to follow the SOPs set by the government, said Paracha.

He said the Sindh government had contacted them on April 15 and promised that they would be allowed to open the markets within a week after receiving a reply from the Centre.

He, whoever said, those made announcements on Tuesday and Wednesday had no relationship with All City Tajir Ittehad. They followed the law and never violated that, Paracha added.

Speaking on the occasion, All City Tajir Ittehad president Sharjeel Goplani said they would open the shops from 9am to 5pm.

He asked the government to understand their problems as they were not among those taking the law into their hands.

Leaders of several other organisations also attended the presser to press their case.

It is worth recalling that the traders had earlier threatened to open their businesses on April 15, saying the lockdown had destroyed them.

However, the Sindh government succeeded in convincing the traders not to open their businesses.

The agreement came as Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, at a meeting with the traders’ representatives, had assured them of subsidy.