Traders reject govt’s decision about business closure: Govt urged to increase minimum wage of workers

PESHAWAR: The trader community on Saturday rejected the government’s decision to close down business for nine days and urged the rulers to announce Eid holiday from May 12 to May 15 and allow them to continue business after 6pm.

The announcement was made at a meeting held in connection with May 1 and asked the government to end the ban on their business on Saturday and Sunday till Eidul Fitr so that the people could purchase the required items. Mujeebur Rehman, the president of the union chaired the meeting. The traders rejected the government decision to close down the country for nine days, saying the NCOC should take the traders into confidence before taking such decisions. They said the closing of business for nine days would badly affect the already affected small traders.

They also demanded the government Rs30,000 as minimum salary for labourers. They said that no one can imagine how the poor labourers live in their meager salaries. The traders said they should be allowed to do business till late night because they had been waiting for the entire year but the ban on business had badly affected them.

The All Pakistan commercial Exporters Association, patron-in- chief Haji Mamor Khan has asked the government to relax the ban on business till Eid. He said no country in the world has ever imposed a ban on religious events even in Israel but the rulers of Pakistan had imposed a ban and deprived the people of their rights. It, he said, would be astonishing that the entire business centres, parks and recreation facilities would be closed before Eidul Fitar. He asked the government to relax the ban and allow the traders to continue business after 6pm till late night.