KP, Balochistan traders say they are opening businesses today

KARACHI: Traders in across the country on Tuesday said that they would resume operations from April 15, reports Geo News. 

Later, the traders in Karachi withheld their call for opening businesses today for two days after assurance by the commissioner, while the business community in Punjab has urged the government to permit activities for a limited time.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his address to the nation today, extended the lockdown till April 30.

The premier said that some industries such as construction would be allowed to operate from Wednesday (tomorrow). The business community in Karachi said that they will resume operations from April 15 and that the traders would follow preventive measures. Addressing a press conference, a representative of the Karachi’s trader community said: "We cannot afford the imposed restrictions anymore."

"The businessmen have paid their employees a month’s salary but will we unable to do so if the lockdown extends," he said. "We will give our shops keys to [the officials at] the Chief Minister House and will protest outside the provincial chief's office," he added.

Voicing the traders in Sindh, Balochistan's business community said that they would resume operations from April 15 as well. They said that the traders cannot bear the lockdown restrictions anymore. The activities would be conducted and precautionary measures would be followed, adding that the provincial government had been informed regarding the decision to resume operations.

Furthermore, the traders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that they could not afford the lockdown further and that they would open shops from April 15. President United Business Group, Ilyas Bilour said that small scale traders were forced into starvation due to the lockdown.

He lamented that labourers were severely affected due to the closure of business centres. A few hours after the announcement, Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said that the provincial government would not permit traders to resume operations. "We have drafted SOPs [for the business community] and will issue them [in the coming days]," he said.

"Small scale traders will be given a subsidy in taxes," he said, adding that action will be taken against violators of lockdown restrictions. "Even the federal government has not allowed the reopening of markets," he added.