Hafeez Centre traders reject Rs5 bn package, warn of protest over sealing of shops

LAHORE: Traders who suffered major losses in 18 October inferno at Hafeez Centre have rejected provincial government's Rs5 billion package and asked the authorities concerned to hand over shops to owners; otherwise, they would launch a protest drive from today (Monday).

Speaking to journalists outside Hafeez Centre, they strongly objected to offering loans to traders instead of compensation package. “We outrightly reject government's loan offer of Rs5 billion as it would not serve the purpose rather just tantamount to a political move,” said Sheikh Imran, Chairman Khidmat Group, trade body of Hafeez Centre along with Sheikh Fayyaz, Farooq Butt, Iftikhar Ahmad, Sheikh Amjad and others.

They expressed serious reservations over the prolonged sealing of shops on pretext of assessing damages and warned that a protest campaign would be launched if government did not allow traders to run their businesses. They criticised the authorities for failing to extinguish the fire in a coordinated efforts saying they had to face losses of billions owing to poor emergency response of relevant departments. The sealing of commercial building for last two weeks badly harm the traders’ interest, they said and threatened that they would take to streets in case the government did not allow commercial activities. They said the business community had already faced enormous problems in the prevailing circumstances, saying unnecessary actions would cause irreparable losses to them. They asked the government not to force them to accept loan package along with running business in pledged shops located in a nearby plaza.