The shopkeepers shut down their businesses and staged a protest sit-in at Clock Tower Chowk. STOCK IMAGE
FAISALABAD: Shopkeepers of Kutchery Bazaar protested on Thursday against the district government and the traffic police over paid parking arrangements in the market.
The shopkeepers shut down their businesses and staged a protest sit-in at Clock Tower Chowk.
Talking to newsmen, Mobile Phones Dealers and Accessories Association president Khalid Jatt said the market was a congested area and the district government had created problems for the shoppers by introducing a paid parking system.
Jatt said customers did not have free access to many shops because they had to park their vehicles at a distance and walk a long way.
The protesters chanted slogans against the district government and urged the DCO to abolish the parking plan.
They also demanded a five-foot clearing in front of every shop.
The protesters erected barriers in Kutchery Bazaar and suspended traffic for several hours.
A Rail Bazaar police team met the protesters and assured them that their complaints would be taken up with authorities concerned.
Separately, scores of deed writers protested against the police at Zila Council Chowk in front of the district government secretariat.
Taking to newsmen, Allah Dad, one of the protesters, said the Civil Lines SHO and two of his accomplices had demanded extortion. “When we refused, the SHO registered cases against several deed writers,” he said.
The protesters blocked traffic on University Road and demanded action against the SHO.
Abdul Kareem, a representative of the CPO, met the protestors and assured them that the SHO would be investigated and taken to task. The deed writers then called off their protest.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2015.
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