Traders protest for reopening of business

Islamabad : Thousands of hotel, school, marriage hall owners and workers, metro bus employees, furniture dealers, shopkeepers, car dealers, transporters and several other businessmen staged a protest rally against the government for not allowing them reopening of their businesses during COVID-19 lockdown. The protesters started their rally from Zero Point and proceeded to Parliament House here on Saturday.

Police used force against protesters to disperse them from Zero Point. On the other hand, police has also blocked Kashmir Highway to stop entering protestors in federal capital Islamabad.

The protesters were continuously coming from all cities across the country but Islamabad police has stopped protesters to enter in capital. The law enforcement agencies on the directions of capital administration blocked all ways with barbed wires.

The Islamabad management requested the participants of the rally to protest at Serena Chowk but protesters didn’t agreed and insisted to proceed to Parliament House.

All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT) President Ajmal Baloch said, “We are our protest is peaceful, which is our right but police stopped businessmen to enter in Islamabad. “If police not allowed businessmen and civil society members to enter in Islamabad, we will stage ‘sit-in’ in different places,” he warned.

The protesters were carrying ‘bugles’ in their hands and also blowing horns of their vehicles during the protest demonstration. The police officials also requested to stop blowing horns but vain.

The protest rally was organised under the flag of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT) President Ajmal Baloch and General Secretary Naeem Mir. The protesters carrying banners inscribed with the slogans ‘Save us from hunger’ and ‘When will our businesses reopen?” They raised slogans against PTI government and criticising the wrong policies.

During their addresses the leaders of business community said that government should immediately announce a relief package for people affected by coronavirus. They have demanded to increase their business hours and reduction in the weekly holiday to one. The leaders of business community were demanding to open restaurants, hotels, metro buses, schools etc under existing SOPs.

Hotel-Motel Association Islamabad President Mehtab Abbasi said, “If hotels can open in Murree then they can be opened in other cities as well. Thousands of workers related with hotel and marriage hall business are dying with hunger but government neither provided them food nor allowing them to earn.”

Thousands of employees working with Metro Bus Service became jobless, the protestors said. They said that government is telling lie for over two years and befooling the innocent public. “We are ready to stay homes if government provide us bread and butter,” they demanded.

All Pakistan Markazi Tanzeem Tajran President Kashif Chaudhry said that whole nation was facing worst situation for the last two years but government not considering it.