Islamabad Traders Urge Government to Ease Market Timings

Traders in the federal capital want the government to end the lockdown.

They want it to be like what happened in the provinces. The government depends on businesses to support its goals. In return, businesses follow rules to help the country, they claim. Former President of the Traders Welfare Association Supermarkets Sarfraz Mughal said traders were not consulted about the lockdown. The business community took it on board, but it is now time for relief, he added.

Leaders from the big trade organizations have echoed the call. The President of the Federation of Pakistan, Atif Ikram, and Sardar Tahir, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that traders are experiencing significant losses.

Ajmal Baloch, Kashif Chaudhry, and Sheikh Tayyab asked the government to reconsider the restrictions. Shops are seeing fewer customer visits, and this is hurting their revenue. Furthermore, many small businesses are unable to afford rent or pay employees. Traders hope for similar easing measures from the provincial governments. They believe that using a uniform approach will help keep jobs and stabilize the market.

Traders also gave their assurance to take stringent safety precautions. They suggested staggering opening times. This way, fewer customers are in shops at once. They also recommended regular cleaning. They hope these steps will reduce health risks and let businesses keep running.

The government has yet to respond to the new demands in an official statement. Traders warned that more lockdowns could force some stores to close for good. But rent or they promised to work with the government for the people’s safety.