KP Traders term ‘lockdown extension’ wrong

PESHAWAR: As soon as Prime Minister Imran Khan concluded his speech announcing two-week extension in the lockdown, the traders and shopkeepers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa convened an emergency meeting to discuss future line of action on Tuesday.

Terming the extension in lockdown ‘wrong’, the central leader of Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Malik Mehar Elahi said they have convened a meeting today to discuss the situation. He said the traders had asked the authorities to allow them to open shops for six hours a day, but to no avail.

He added they would hold another meeting with the representatives of all bodies today (Wednesday) and take the final decision. However, he said that the bazaars would remain closed. The traders had earlier announced to open their shops after April 14 as they could no longer afford to keep their businesses shut.

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Coordinator Sartaj Ahmad Khan said the small traders would take final decision after meeting with the government on Wednesday. He said they welcomed the government’s announcement about the construction industry. The traders, shopkeepers, daily wagers, who were waiting for the announcement of the prime minister on lockdown, told The News they witnessed strict checking in various parts of the cantonment and city areas.

The army, police and FC personnel were seen patrolling bazaars on Tuesday and picked up various shopkeepers for violating lockdown.

A shopkeeper sitting in a shop at Fawwara Chowk with its shutter half down said that they ran away from the shop before the arrival of patrolling team. They imposed Rs5000 fine on another shopkeeper for opening shops during the lockdown.

The same was the case with traffic on Tuesday. The authorities were not allowing private vehicles and imposing fine for taking more than two persons in private taxis and rickshaws. “I came to Saddar from Dabgari Bazaar on foot as I could not find any rickshaw,” said one Jamil, saying the authorities were strictly monitoring the situation.

An elderly citizen, Riaz said he was coming to Nauthia in a rickshaw alone but the traffic police punished the driver and also asked him to get off at Hashtnagri Chowk.