RAWALPINDI: Traders on Murree Road and political parties in the city on Tuesday decided to launch a protest drive against the Punjab government for the delay in the completion of the metro bus project.

The decision was taken at a meeting attended by the representatives of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Awami Muslim League (AML), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and the traders’ action committee.

“It (metro bus) is an unnecessary project and the residents of the garrison city had not demanded for it. But the provincial government failed to finish the work despite the passage of over a year due to which the traders, residents, students and other road users are suffering,” said Fahim Siddiqui, the president of the traders’ action committee, while talking to Dawn.

He said the construction work on Murree Road had badly affected business activities from Faizabad to Marrir Chowk for over a year. At present, the government is working to complete the elevated track and has left the reconstruction of Murree Road which would take about six more months.

“We will start protest demonstrations and sit-ins in front of the Punjab House from Thursday. The details of the protest plan will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday,” he said.

Earlier in the day, a delegation of the traders held separate meetings with AML president Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, PPP leader Amir Fida Paracha, PTI’s Zahid Kazmi and

JI’s Shamsur Rehman Swati. After this, the political parties sent their representatives to the joint meeting which was held at a local hotel.

Zahid Kazmi told Dawn that the PTI had agreed to join hands with the traders to start the protest against the slow pace of work on the metro bus project.

He said the project had ruined the business activities on Murree Road.

PPP City president Amir Fida Paracha said as a compensation for the losses the government should announce a five-year tax waiver for the traders on Murree Road.

He said heaps of construction materials were lying on Murree Road hampering the movement of traffic.

The government started the work without any proper planning due to which the project faced inordinate delay, he added.

Malik Azam Swati said his party always raised a voice for the people and traders who faced lots of problems due to the metro bus project.

Published in Dawn March 25th , 2015

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