Islamabad

Traders want indoor dining ban reversed

Say issue could further compound miseries of businesses

DNA December 11, 2020

Businesspersons and traders have to follow in his footsteps by opening their shops and markets at 9am. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD:

Traders of the federal capital on Thursday called on the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration to overturn a ban imposed on indoor dining due to the novel coronavirus restrictions.

This was urged during a gathering of traders in Sector F-10 Markaz headed by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Sardar Yasir Khan.

He said that due to the lockdowns imposed by the government in the past to keep the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) from spreading, and now a sharp spike in cases for the second wave of the pandemic, business activities have declined significantly.

In these tough conditions, Yasir said that the district administration has decided to ban indoor dining in restaurants. While restaurants have been allowed to cater to customers in outdoor seating arrangements, these have been restricted until 10pm, which was incomprehensible.

Therefore, he demanded that the notification should be withdrawn immediately to protect businesses from further problems.

Earlier, Yasir, along with other senior elected office bearers of the ICCI visited Sector F-10 Markaz and congratulated the newly-elected office-bearers of the commercial area’s Traders Welfare Association.

Ahmad Khan had been elected as president of the association while Waqar Bakhtawari as senior vice president, Chaudhry Farooq Hussain as vice president, Mian Safdar Ali as coordinator secretary, Kashif Sabri as finance secretary, Asghar Abbasi as information secretary, Chaudhry Ziaullah Hinjra as joint secretary and Malik Sultan Ijaz as additional secretary.

Ahmed expressed displeasure over the notification issued by the district administration, and demanded it should be immediately withdrawn.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2020.