‘Traders issue to be addressed soon’

Rawalpindi : The long standing problems of the business community will be solved soon. Elimination of encroachments from the city will reduce the economic woes of traders. Drug inspectors will fulfill their responsibilities under the Drug Act. If the demands are not resolved, they will use every option to protest, says a press release.

These views were given in a joint delegation of businessmen led by Sharjeel Mir, president Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran (Punjab and Rawalpindi), Zahid Bakhtawari, president Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran Cantonment (Registered) and Chaudhry Imran Rashid, chairman Pakistan Chemist and Druggist Association, Rawalpindi, who called on Deputy Commissioner Amir Aqeeq Khan.

Sheikh Hafeez Tahir, Taj Bhatti, Chaudhry Imran Rasheed, Sheikh Shabbir, Raja Ghulam Asghar, Raja Ishaq, Sheikh Bakhsh, Sheikh Farooq, Chaudhry Farooq, Chaudhry Kamran and others were present in the meeting.

Sharjeel Mir said that our long standing and serious problem is encroachment due to which our business is coming to an end. We have brought this to the notice of the management several times but no solution has been found yet. In a case like lockdown where the business community was financially extinct, we have to follow the corona SOPs with our business community.

Sharjeel Mir further said that prudent traders associations should be represented in the liaison committees of all the departments so that the problems faced by the traders from these departments can be resolved immediately.

He congratulated the assuming office and said that the drug inspectors should be ordered to take fair action under the Drug Act 1976 and the representation of the concerned associations in the District Quality Control Board should be ensured in accordance with the law so that the chemist brothers could not be abused. Expired medicines are the responsibility of the manufacturer. They should be required to carry their stock of medicines three months before expiry. Otherwise, action should be taken against the manufacturer. The challan of chemists should be stopped immediately on the pretext of absence of qualified person. Otherwise, all the options of protest will be used. Even before this, the commissioner Gulzar Hussain Shah has also been presented these recommendations.

At the end of the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Aam Aqeeq Khan thanked the joint delegation and said that he would serve the city. I have come for and I will serve the city with the cooperation of all of you. The solution to all the problems faced by the traders will be resolved through understanding. He said that in order to end the encroachments in the city, we have to come up with a permanent solution.