RAWALPINDI: Traders on Tuesday gave a week’s deadline to the caretaker government to withdraw its decision to increase petroleum prices otherwise they will launch a protest.

Rawalpindi Traders Association spokesman Naveed Kanwal told Dawn that the caretaker government had no authority to make such a decision and its mandate was limited to holding elections.

“We do not want to block roads and stage sit-ins in Ramazan as it will create problems for the citizens.”

He said the traders’ association at a meeting on Tuesday decided to give the government one week’s deadline to revisit its decision. “It is an effort to delay the elections and traders will not allow the caretaker government to prolong its tenure.”

“Such decisions should be left for the next government which will be formed in three months. What’s the emergency to take this decision,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2018