January 13, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 03, 1429

LAHORE, Jan 12: The Qaumi Tajar Ittehad has announced that markets in the provincial metropolis will not be closed down after 7:30pm due to loadshedding.

An announcement to this effect was made after a meeting of the office-bearers of traders associations held here on Saturday with Lahore Ittehad president Irfan Iqbal Sheikh in the chair.

A spokesman for the Ittehad said in a statement issued after the meeting that traders had decided to keep the markets open during loadshedding by making their own power supply arrangements.

He said traders were not bound to close the markets on Wapda announcement because it had decided to start loadshedding without consulting them. Traders were also not bound to close down markets when they could make alternative power supply arrangements during loadshedding.

He said the closure of markets was also not advisable because it would increase possibilities of terrorist activities on the one hand and decrease the government revenue on the other.