Renovation Traders oppose closure of Qissa Khwani for traffic

PESHAWAR: Traders have resented the closure of Qissa Khwani Bazaar for traffic by the Capital Metropolitan Government.

Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Malik Mehr Elahi told The News the administration closed the historic bazaar for traffic on the pretext of renovation.

He said that heavy machinery was brought to the bazaar and it was closed for traffic these days when the Eid shopping had started to pick up.

The senior trade leader said the renovation work was scheduled to start after Ramazan and Mayor Zubair Ali had issued the directives but the administration ignored all thatMalik Mehr Elahi said traders in the bazaar and other adjacent markets had expressed reservations over the administration action and termed it a deliberate attempt to hit the businesses in this peak season ahead of Eidul Fitr.

He said he had conveyed the reservations to the mayor when he met him along with President of Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries Ghulam Bilal Javed. He said the mayor had assured that businesses would not be affected by the renovation work.

Malik Mehr Elahi said the administration should address the reservations of the traders, saying that such a project should have been launched in consultation with the stakeholders.He said the traders would be forced into a protest if their reservations were not addressed.

It may be mentioned here that the government had launched a plan to beautify Qissa Khwani Bazaar under which the entry of vehicular traffic into the bazaar from other routes would be closed.

The renovation plan has been put under question by most of the people citing a failed example of the similar plan of Herritage Trail.The Archaeology Departrment had spent a huge public money on developing the Heritage Trail from Ghanta Ghar to Gor Khatri Archaeological Complex. But the entire trail fell into an utter neglect later and has been in a shambles since then due to poor upkeep.