BY: Hurish Shah:
ISLAMABAD—President of the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran and Traders Action Committee Islamabad Ajmal Baloch, along with Secretary and Chairman of the Traders and Market Development Committee of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Khalid Chaudhry, has warned that the business community will not accept another strict lockdown or any reduction in business hours, saying such measures would further damage the country’s already struggling economy.
In a joint statement, Ajmal Baloch, Khalid Chaudhry, Mian Kamran Kakakhel, Shehzad Abbasi, Akhtar Abbasi and other trader leaders said inflation had surged due to government policies, placing essential commodities beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. They added that businesses had already shrunk significantly, while the public’s purchasing power had declined sharply.
The trader representatives also expressed concern over the government’s proposal to allow OGRA to determine petroleum prices on a daily basis, arguing that it appeared to give excessive influence to oil companies at the expense of consumers.
They said imposing another strict lockdown or curtailing business hours would further weaken economic activity, increase unemployment and create additional hardships for traders and the public alike.
The business leaders warned that the trading community would reject any such decision and, if the government proceeded with what they described as anti-business measures, nationwide protests and a countrywide shutter-down strike could be announced.
They urged the government to avoid decisions that would hurt businesses and the national economy, and instead adopt policies that support economic stability and protect public livelihoods.
