Traders to open markets today

Rawalpindi : Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has accepted the request of Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed to end the tussle between traders and district administration on the issue of closure of shops and markets three days a week.

The traders of city and cantonment board areas will close shops only two days a week on Friday and Saturday rather three days and will close down shops at 7:30 pm rather 6:00 pm on regular basis. The decision between Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has been finalized here on Saturday.

However, till the filing of the report, the district administration, Rawalpindi did not issue a proper notification to open all commercial activities on Sunday.

All Pakistan Traders Association (Punjab) President Shirjeel Mir told ‘The News’ that business community of Rawalpindi will open all commercial activities on Sunday (today). “We are opening all commercial activities due to settlement between Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed,” he said. Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed has played an important role to resolve this issue, he said.

He also said that business community of city and cantonment board areas will continue all commercial activities five days a week rather six days. “We will close down shops and markets at 7:30 pm rather 6:00 pm,” he said.

Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha said that we have settled down all issues with district administration. “We will open all business activities on Sunday,” he claimed. He said that traders will close down shops and markets only on Friday and Saturday in a week.

Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Narcotics Control Shaikh Rashid Shafiq told ‘The News’ that traders of Rawalpindi are going to open shops and markets on Sunday (today). “The Punjab Chief Minister has accepted the request of Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed and allowed traders to open all business activities on Sunday. But, Punjab government has not yet issued any kind of notification in this regard,” he said. “The Punjab Chief Minister agreed that traders of will close down shops and markets only two days Friday and Saturday rather three days in a week,” he claimed.

Some two days back, Additional District Collector General (ADCG) Captain (r) Muhammad Qasim had assured that Punjab government will issue a proper notification to closure of shops and markets only two days a week rather three days in a day or two.