Closed for business

Traders blame government for the chaotic situation in the city


Our Correspondent November 26, 2017
Shops remained closed due to demonstrations by activists. PHOTO: ONLINE

LAHORE: Most city markets and commercial areas remained closed owing to protests and rallies in almost all areas of the provincial capital on Saturday. Both traders and citizens blamed the government for not handling the situation wisely and for creating unrest in entire country.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran President Khalid Pervaiz said that the government had failed miserably to find out a peaceful solution to the problem and was responsible for the spread unrest in all parts of the country. “It is the negligence of state machinery that people are on streets in all the four provinces,” he said. “Rallies are coming out from every nook and corner of the city,” he maintained.

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Khalid highlighted that protests and rallies had caused great losses to businesses and the trading community of the country. He pointed that the chaotic situation could have been easily avoided if authorities tried to solve the core issues. “If the government wanted to take such action, why did it not launch a crackdown when the people started gathering in Islamabad? Earlier, it allowed religious parties activists to hold a sit-in in the twin cities, but now all of a sudden it has launched a crackdown against them,” he said.

Another trading community leader, Abdul Razzaq Babur, said the whole country was “on fire” and angry protestors had taken over all main roads and big cities. “There is no writ of law,” he added.

Babur stated that the trading community has voluntarily closed their business to avoid any untoward incident as the government had failed to ensure law and order.

Muhammad Ali, a shopper trying to find dresses for his brother’s wedding, said, “My friends and I are here from Okara for shopping. The shops were open in the morning but suddenly shopkeepers started to close their businesses owing to protests and rallies on Mall Road.”

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“We heard that law enforcing agencies had closed down all the entry and exit points of the city,” he added. “M-2 Motorway and N-5 National Highway had also been closed for traffic,” the visitor concluded.

Another citizen, Muzaffar Butt, also slammed the government for not handling the situation in a professional manner. He said it was hard for citizens to commute in the city as protestors have blocked all the main roads, while the government has suspended metro bus operations. Though some private bus operators were plying their vehicles in the city, it was with a reduced frequency, he added.

Similar remarks were made by several other citizens and traders as hardly any business activity took pace witnessed in the provincial metropolis.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2017.

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