Coronavirus 4th wave: Mardan traders oppose another smart lockdown

MARDAN: The business community here on Thursday rejected the statement of Federal Minister Asad Umar about a smart lockdown on Eidul Azha in view of the likely fourth wave of coronavirus.

“The government should stop forthwith the economic murder of traders in the guise of Covid-19,” said Aurangzeb Kashmiri, Senior Vice-President Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajiran while talking to The News.

He said whenever the businesses were resumed and the traders started earning two-time meals for the children, the government imposed restrictions after citing the start of the fresh wave of the Covad-19.

Aurangzeb Kashmiri said the last three waves of the coronavirus had broken the backbone of traders across the country and they were yet to recover from the huge losses due to the closure of the businesses.

He added the traders had become mentally ill as they were finding it difficult to pay the shop rents and meet other running expenditures.

The business community representative demanded the government to provide interest-free loans to small traders and waive one-year rent of government-owned shops, adding they would accept the smart lockdown during the fourth wave after the government offered them relief.

Aurangzeb Kashmiri said that the business community across the country could not afford any lockdown and the business community would hold protest rallies, hunger strikes and even court arrest if their businesses were closed by force.