PESHAWAR, May 26: Traders on Sunday held a protest demonstration at Saddar Road against Cantonment Board Peshawar for allegedly forcing them to vacate shops.

Talking to media persons outside the sealed shops, Awami National Party leader Senator Haji Adeel condemned the sealing of shops. He said the traders had obtained stay order from the Peshawar High Court till June 5 in this regard.

He said the cantonment board was violating court orders by evicting traders from shops. He said the CBP also didn’t move its own court of the rent controller to solve the matter. He said the shopkeepers will accept a reasonable decision of the CBP rent controller, but will not tolerate use of force.

Senator Adeel said he tried to talk to police and provincial government high ups but they did not attend his phone calls. He said such ‘irresponsible’ attitude of government functionaries created serious problems.

Trade leaders Aziz-ur-Rehman, Shaukat Ali and Waris Afridi also criticised the CBP officials for sealing 29 shops on May 17, and forcing them to stay away from their workplace.

They said the administration had shifted the belongings of people from the workshops in violation of the court order. “We put everything into establishing our businesses, but the CBP kicked us out without providing us any replacement,” said the traders.

The traders said if any damage was done to their belongings all responsibility would rest with the concerned officials.

Efforts were made to get version of the chief executive officer of the cantonment board but he did not reply.