ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has taken notice of the traders’ reservations on the issue of shop closure in the federal capital by 8:00pm and the government has decided to give one-hour temporary relief for early closures of shops. MNA Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said this while addressing a joint press conference at the residence of Abdul Rauf Alam, Chairman Joint Action Committee of Traders here on Saturday. He said the shops would now close by 9:00pm while marriage halls would close by 10:00pm and restaurants by 11:00pm. He said medical stores that did not sell any other item except medicines would be exempted from this arrangement. He said that it was a temporary agreement while further dialogue would continue between the government and traders’ leaders to find out an amicable solution to this problem. He also thanked Joint Action Committee members and Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry for seeking solution to this issue through dialogue. Abdul Rauf Alam, Chairman Joint Action Committee of Traders thanked the prime minister for taking notice of traders protest and deputing Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry for dialogue with them on this issue. He appealed to the government to always take business community on board on such key issues and avoid making unilateral decisions. He assured that during the dialogue process, traders would not resort to any further strike in Islamabad. He said due to Metro Bus project and political sit-ins, traders of Islamabad suffered greatly while in summer season and in Ramazan customers mostly visited shops after the sunset. He said keeping in view these facts, the government should seriously consider accepting traders’ demand for closure of shops by 10:00pm. He said Metro Bus project-affected traders in Rawalpindi were given waiver in property tax, but no such relief was given to the traders of Islamabad. However, he thanked Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry for assuring of taking up this issue with the prime minister. M Kashif Chaudhry, President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran Islamabad, said the government should consider allowing closure of shops by 10:00pm and restaurants by 12:00pm. He hoped that soon a consensus solution to this problem would be found. Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kamran Abbasi, President Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders, Ajmal Baloch, President All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran, M Ejaz Abbasi, President Jinnah Super Market, Malik Sohail Hussain, Chairman FPCCI Coordination Committee and other traders were also present on the occasion.
