Business, industrial activities shrink to 40pc

A number of export-oriented industries opened their units on Tuesday despite a local holiday in the country’s economic nerve centre, which was announced in connection to Iranian President Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to the port city. However, many units could not meet their production and export targets due to a labour shortage and disruption in cargo movement caused by a road blockade for the security of the visiting dignitary. Besides, trading activities at the main hub of essential commodities — Dandia Bazaar — had also remained subdued due to the closure of main arteries like M.A. Jinnah Road near Quaid-e-Azam Mausoleum and Shahra-e-Faisal, which also led to huge traffic jams in the vicinity of the main thoroughfares.