Central leaders of the Rawalpindi Islamabad jewellers associations strongly condemned the recent Karachi raid, calling the action by FIA and FBR officials unlawful after it was carried out without prior notice and involved seizure of records and reported mistreatment of traders.
Speakers at the Rawalpindi meeting described the Karachi raid as illegal, unconstitutional and harmful to business confidence, and demanded a transparent inquiry with strict disciplinary measures against any officials found to have exceeded their authority.
Sheikh Asif Idris, president of the Central Sarafa Union Rawalpindi Islamabad, urged government agencies to respect existing laws and to stop harassing traders under the guise of widening the tax net. He warned that continued institutional heavy‑handedness would force the trading community to take to the streets.
Fayyaz Qureshi, president of New Sarafa Bazaar Rawalpindi, echoed calls for immediate action and said the raid undermines the trust between traders and enforcement bodies. Rana Abdul Quddus, president of Mary Road Jewellers Association, called for clear SOPs so that future operations remain within legal bounds and do not subject merchants to arbitrary treatment.
The meeting was attended by senior leaders including Raja Farzand Ali, senior vice president of the Sarafa Union, and presidents and representatives from several districts including Taxila, Attock, Kahuta, Dina and Jhelum. Delegates pledged that protection of traders’ lives, property and dignity would be pursued through all available legal channels under the Constitution of Pakistan 1973.
At the close of the session, under the leadership of Sheikh Asif Idris and Fayyaz Qureshi, participants staged a protest on Murree Road against what they described as the unlawful raids and mistreatment by state agencies. The jewellers’ leadership reiterated that if the Karachi raid and similar actions do not stop, a nationwide protest movement will be launched.
