PESHAWAR/SWAT: Traders continued their protest for the third consecutive day in Peshawar on Thursday against inflated power bills and increase in rates of petroleum products, urging the federal government to accept their demands to control price hike.

Traders have been holding demonstrations in different bazaars to ask the government to withdraw increase in prices of power, natural gas, CNG, LPG and petroleum products. Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) also announced on Thursday to support the protesting traders.

Shopkeepers under the auspices of Peshawar Qaumi Jirga held a rally at Chowk Yaadgar and chanted slogans against the government. Trader leaders including Khalid Ayub, Khalid Mohmand, Atif Haleem and others said that government was reluctant to pay attention to their demands.

They said that they were unable to run their business in the prevailing situation as prices of petroleum products, CNG, LPG, power and natural gas were increased manifolds. They said that government should reverse the increase in prices of daily use items otherwise people would be unable to feed their children.

Backing the ongoing protest of traders against increasing inflation and price hike, SCCI asked the caretaker government to revise its decision in the best interest of economy of the country.

Ijaz Khan Afridi, the acting president of SCCI, said in a statement that economic, trade and commercial activities were adversely affected owing to frequent increase in prices of electricity, gas and petroleum products besides high rate of dollar.

He said that caretakers were only implementing the flawed policies of the previous government, which destroyed the national economy.

He asked government to restrain from enforcement of anti-business policies and instead devise business-friendly policies in consultation with chambers, traders and other stakeholders to put the national economy on a path of sustainable growth.

“Pakistan is economically unstable while industries, business, trade and exports are also plunging down with each passing day,” said Mr Afridi.

In Swat, many women have started visiting markets to seek help from traders for paying their electricity bills after the recent surge in power tariff.

Several shopkeepers in Mingora told Dawn that many women visited their shops, with power bills in their hands, and asked them to help them to pay their electricity bills.

“Today, about 11 masked women visited my shop and begged me to help them financially so that they could pay their electricity bills. This is a real heart wrenching situation for me because I cannot help them,” said Ziaullah, the owners of a mobile phones shop in Mingora.

He said that some of the electricity bills, which he checked with the women, were above Rs30,000.

“I have never seen women in our society begging for money to pay their electricity bills. They do not ask for little amount but beg for lump sum amount of the electricity bills they hold in their hands,” said Abdullah, another shopkeeper.

Razia Bibi, a mother of seven, said that he had never imagined that she would have to beg for paying electricity bills. “My husband’s income barely covers our rent and food, let alone these soaring bills,” she added.

Some residents of the area have announced to record their protest against increase in power tariff by burning their electricity bills at Nishat Chowk on Friday.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2023