Rawalpindi’s traders want uniform policy for shops closure at 8:30pm for all provinces
By Chronicle
Rawalpindi
The leaders of traders of Rawalpindi have termed the decision to close the business centers at 8:30 pm in the guise of an energy crisis as a nondescript like thing which they believe would not bring fruitfulness.
They are of the view that the government should take the decision on it by taking all the provinces into confidence.
Central Anjuman Tajran Rawalpindi President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha while talking to this scribe said that if the government wants to implement the decision, first all the four provinces will be on the same page, then the implementation will be done.
There should be a uniform policy which should be followed by the people of all the cities. It cannot be productive unless all the provinces agree to it.
He said two provinces, Punjab and KP have already announced that it is not a probable option.
First, all the provinces should agree on it and then a decision into this effect would be taken, he further stated.
If the country really needs it, then the businessmen as they have cooperated before would be ready to cooperate with the government. However, a decision into this effect should only be taken in consultation with the stakeholders, especially the traders’ leaders, he further stated.
It is not right to suddenly impose decisions, Paracha further stated. “We have been at a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House but the suggestions which we had given were ignored,” he stated.
In the meeting, it was agreed that we will close the shops at 9 o’clock and restaurants should be given time till 11 o’clock. For this, there should be a uniform policy to be implemented by all the provinces and the center, he claimed.
He said the provinces of Punjab or KPK opposed the decision of the federal government in this connection.
He raised a point as to how it would be possible that centres in Balochistan, Sindh in Islamabad would remain closed and in other parts of the country they would remain open.
He said the traders understand that the country is going through a difficult phase at the moment. Traders have cooperated before and will continue to do so, he added.
President of All Pakistan Mobile Association Rawalpindi, Sajid Butt said that they should make a uniform policy for all the provinces for opening and closing of shops at a specific time.
“This should not happen. We are living in Punjab, so it is not a good thing for shops to remain closed in Islamabad and while they remain open in Rawalpindi which is a part of Punjab.
The implementation of the decision in the four provinces and the federation is fine, otherwise we would reject it,” he said.
Ends
