Small traders term 2025 worst year for business, investment and jobs

KARACHI: Small traders have declared calendar year 2025 as the worst year in history in terms of business, investment, unemployment and inflation.

They said that in 2025, commercial activity remained below even 60 per cent, political instability triggered an economic crisis, pessimism about the future and uncertainty shattered investor confidence in the local market, and no new commercial or industrial units could be established.

According to a report compiled by All Karachi Traders Alliance chief Atiq Mir, 2025 remained a year of shutter-down.

The closure of countless industries and businesses led to a horrific rise in unemployment, while the trend of capital flight accelerated.

“Relentless, terrifying and unbearable inflation turned 2025 into a nightmare for the poor and middle class,” it said.

“Those who claimed to save the country from bankruptcy could not save industry and trade from going bankrupt. The performance of public sector institutions in 2025 remained abysmal, and rulers, mired in short-sightedness and negligence, undertook 35 foreign trips in the name of attracting investment. However, not a single penny came in; instead, local capital continued to move abroad,” the report said.

It said that no serious effort or strategy to pull the country out of economic crisis was visible, and even in 2026 there appears to be no hope in sight for an end to difficulties or any improvement.

The report stated that due to heavy taxation, unbearable prices of electricity, gas, petrol and the dollar, and the failure to curb artificial inflation, the economy kept declining and essential commodities moved out of the reach of the poor and middle class.

Even during any sales season, it said, traditional hustle and bustle and shopping activity could not be seen in markets.

“Instead of taking concrete measures to reduce inflation and revive the economy, the rulers continued to appease the public with artificial and misleading indicators. The stock market was at record highs, while trade remained at rock-bottom levels.”

Atiq Mir said that the prices of pulses, ghee, milk, meat, vegetables and essential commodities continued to rise on a daily basis.

He said that Karachi, the economic hub, completely turned into a city controlled by mafias.

“Traders and industrialists remained under threat from extortionists, and the city of 40 million people suffered unbearable inflation, unemployment, encroachments, illegal land grabbing, chaotic traffic, water crisis, insecurity, lawlessness and agonising municipal problems,” he said.