PESHAWAR: Trade activities resumed in the provincial metropolis on Monday after the nine-day lockdown enforced before Eid to contain spread of Covid-19 pandemic came to an end.

The business community also welcomed a government decision that markets across the province would now remain open until 8pm. Previously, the government had restricted all the business activities by 6pm.

In a statement issued here, the Traders Alliance Federation Peshawar president Ghulam Bilal said nobody was in favour of lockdowns, however, the traders extended cooperation to the government in the larger public interest to overcome the pandemic.

He said the government should allow the business activities without any restrictions, adding the traders were fully adhering to the standard operating procedures.

He said no relief had so far been given to traders, who had to pay salaries to workers, rents of shops, taxes, and also to repay loans without any support from the government.

Mr Bilal said the traders were finding it difficult to revive their dwindling businesses in the prevailing situation.

Separately, owners of wedding halls have also demanded the opening of their businesses.

City Marriage Halls Association president Khan Gul and general secretary Aamir Daud Paracha, in a joint statement, appreciated the provincial government’s decision to allow resumption of trade activities in the province.

They said the owners of wedding halls should also be allowed to resume their activities to save livelihoods of thousands of people associated with the business.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2021