En masse: Traders close shop, but is the government listening?

Protest city admin’s ‘harassment’, demand govt revert decision of 8pm market closures.

ISLAMABAD:

All small and major markets and shopping centers across Islamabad were shutdown on Tuesday as traders observed a complete shutter-down strike against the forceful implementation of a recent government decision to close shops early.

On April 8, 2015, the Cabinet Committee on Energy chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while approving the electricity conservation plan decided to have the city markets closed by 8pm.



Representatives of traders’ associations, while threatening a second phase of protest — which they say involves gatherings at major thoroughfares and intersections of the capital and march on Presidency and PM House later — demanded the government immediately withdraw the “draconian” decision which is tantamount to traders’ “economic murder”.

Not only markets but roadside eateries, medical stores, bakeries and cigarette shops, which usually remain open during such strikes, also followed the call and closed shop.

Traders claim the government orders will force them to go hungry and also badly affect the country’s economy. PHOTOS: WASEEM NAZIR, MUHAMMAD JAVAID/EXPRESS

Famous shopping centers including Super, Jinnah Super, Kohsar, Blue Area, Karachi Company, F-10, Peshawar Morr, Aabpara, Melody, and Centaurs Mall observed the strike.

However, small business centers in residential sectors and melody food market remain partially open.

“It’s a token protest, which was completely peaceful. But we cannot give guarantee that it will remain nonviolent if the government continues to pay no heed to our demand,” Mohammad Kashif Chaudhry, president Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajaran Islamabad said while addressing a press conference at melody market.

Over the past couple of days, Chaudhry alleged, heavy fines have not only been imposed on traders but they were harassed, manhandled and taken into detention by the city administration accompanied by baton-wielding policemen while implementing the decision.

“Traders in recent days have faced the worst form of state-backed terrorism,” Chaudhry added.

Addressing the press conference, Ajmal Baloch, president of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajaran, said they would take their protest to other parts of Pakistan for which planning and deliberations were under way.



Baloch said on the one hand the government is begging other states including China to invest in Pakistan and on the other it is busy financially weakening the country’s own business community.

He said before announcing the strike they tried to contact senior government functionaries including elected MPs but the government did not bother to listen to them.

“We fully endorse the government’s commitment to conserve energy ahead of the summer but not at the cost of financial losses to the business community,” he said, adding the government should withdraw the ‘ill-advised and unpopular decision’.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mushtaq Ahmad repelled the impression that traders were manhandled or harassed while implementing the decision. “It’s a government decision and administration is bound to implement it, come what may,” Ahmad said.

The joint action committee of traders comprising representatives of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry, Traders Welfare Association, etc in its statement congratulated the traders for a successful strike at the cost of financial losses.

Residents who thronged various markets unaware of the strike went home empty handed.

“Is the whole market closed?” inquired Naeem Qadir from a passerby while standing at one corner of Aabpara Market.  Accompanied by his wife and three-year-old son, Qadir said that he was unaware of the decision to strike.

Citing ‘harassment’: Petition filed against govt orders

A writ petition has been filed at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the recent government order asking traders to close down markets and shops in the capital and the Punjab by 8pm.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui will hear the matter on Wednesday (today). The petition has been filed by Al-Safa Golden Company (Pvt) Limited through its counsel Ateequr Rehman Siddiqui.

The petitioner has cited the federation of Pakistan through Ministry of Water and Power, chief and deputy commissioners Islamabad and the Islamabad inspector general of police as respondents.

The petitioner has adopted that the Islamabad administration has been harassing traders asking them to close down shopping malls and markets by 8pm, when there is no official notification in this regard.

Asking traders to close down businesses by 8pm is discriminatory as the law is not in place in the other three provinces of the country.

The petitioner has requested the court to bar the Islamabad administration from harassing traders.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2015.