Traders pledge to operate until ‘Chand Raat’ countrywide

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Traders Association (APTA) Friday announced that it would continue to carry out all commercial activities countrywide except Sindh until chand raat.

According to the APTA President Ajmal Baloch, all markets and businesses will operate across the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. "We should be allowed to operate businesses 24 hours as the Saudi government did," said Baloch, adding if the government did not have the means to provide relief to the business community, then it should not tell them to shut down their businesses.

Two days ago, the Punjab government had announced that a full lockdown would be imposed across the province throughout the Eid holidays (May 8 to May 16) to curb the rising number of coronavirus infections.

The Sindh government also announced a new set of restrictions as part of the national “Stay Home- Stay Safe” drive to curb coronavirus during the Eid holidays. In a notification issued by the Sindh Home Department, the provincial government stated that the new restrictions will remain in place from May 9 to 16. According to a notification issued in this regard, all markets, businesses and shops will remain closed during the period except essential services. Special Eid bazaars/'Chand-Raat Bazars' mehndi, jewellery/ornaments shops shall remain closed during the period being non-essential.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 claimed another 140 lives taking the death toll to 18,677 in 24 hours. The tally of active cases reached 83,699 with 4,298 more people testing positive and 4,631 recovering in 24 hours.

Of the 140 people who died on Thursday, 124 were under treatment in hospitals, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Most of these deaths occurred in the Punjab followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.