ISLAMABAD: Traders have given a three-day deadline to the federal government on reopening businesses countrywide amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
President Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajran Pakistan Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry in a statement urged the government to decide on reopening complete business activity in the country within 72 hours.
“In case the government does not make a decision, the traders themselves will end the lockdown and resume business activities,” Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry said.
Chaudhry said that all the traders had become victims of the politics between the federal and provincial governments. “The economic murder of traders and workers in the name of lockdown was not acceptable to them,” he added.
The federal government had not provided any relief to traders on utility bills and payment of rents, Chaudhry asserted. He also noted that the government in the past took voluntary cooperation of traders as their weakness, “But any lip-service from the government will not serve the purpose,” he further asserted.
Last week, Sindh Traders Alliance Chairman Jamil Ahmed Paracha announced to open all markets across Sindh from 15th April by saying that the traders have already cooperated with the provincial government amid coronavirus pandemic by closing all markets for 28 days.
On 15th April the traders tried to open the markets in the Saddar area but they were stopped by the police officials. Later they extended their protest after meeting with the governor Sindh.
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