Small shopkeepers in KP seek exemption from lockdown

PESHAWAR: A delegation of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and Anjuman-e-Tajiran called on Chief Minister Mahmood Khan here on Tuesday to apprise him of difficulties they were facing due to the lockdown enforced to contain the coronavirus spread.

Sharafat Ali Mubarak led the delegation. Other members were Malik Meher Elahi, Ihtisham Haleem, Ghazanfar Bilour, Adeel Rauf, Ghulam Javed, Habibullah Zahid, Ghulam Bilal and others. The traders representatives apprised the chief minister of the issues faced by them due to the lockdown, said an official handout.

They demanded that some shops selling essential items should be allowed to reopen during Ramazan by following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The chief minister said all the measures of the government, including the lockdown and social distancing were aimed at protecting the lives of the people against coronavirus pandemic.

He added that the government’s measures would not yield the desired results until people, including traders, shopkeepers and all other segments of society, do not extend cooperation. He said the government did not want to keep business activities closed but in the prevailing emergency situation, some difficult decisions were required to be taken to protect the lives.

The chief minister urged upon all segments of society to extend cooperation and put efforts together with the government in this difficult time. “We are faced with a difficult situation of saving the people from coronavirus as well as from hunger at the same time”, Mahmood Khan said and asked the public to extend cooperation to the administration in the implementation of social distancing measures.

He said the government fully realized the difficulties faced by small traders and shopkeepers due to the lockdown and added that the government was working on resolving the issue of rents of the shops kept closed during the lockdown. The chief minister said reopening of the Pak-Afghan border for exports was also under consideration.

Of the relief package for the small traders, Mahmood Khan said the KP government was taking necessary steps to provide relief to all sectors within the available resources. He assured that delegation that their issues related to the federal government would be taken up with the federal government on priority the basis for timely resolution. Expressing his concern over the rapid increase of coronavirus cases, the chief minister urged the traders, shopkeepers as well as the general public to strictly follow the preventive measures.