ISLAMABAD: The traders of federal capital have announced shutter down strike on April 28 against the government decision to close shops at 8pm.

The decision was taken at a meeting which was attended by Ajmal Baloch, president, Anjuman-e-Tijaran Pakistan, Mohammad Kashif Chaudhry, president Markazi Anjuman-i-Tijaran, Islamabad, presidents and general secretaries of Market Unions of Islamabad and a large number of business community.

The traders said government should have taken them on board before taking the decision. They said the local administration has started visiting main markets of Islamabad to enforce the decision. They vowed to resist the ‘coercive’ measure.

The traders appealed to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take notice of such bureaucratic tactics and withdraw the decision.

They warned that if the government did not pay any heed to their strike call, they would take next line of action in the next meeting to protect their rights at every cost.

President Super Market Welfare Association Sarfraz Mughal while talking to Dawn said in summer most of the residents of the federal capital come to the shopping after sunset so it is not possible for the traders to observe new timings.

“We will observe complete shutter down on 28th and after that we will go for further steps because we cannot close shops at 8pm,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2015

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