PESHAWAR: The traders of various bazaars took out a protest rally from Gor Khutri and observed a sit-in at Muslim Meena Bazaar against the restrictions on vehicular traffic around the heritage trail and warned to block the road for visitors and VIPs to the historical sites in Peshawar city.

The rally was led by leaders of various unions of traders, including Markazi Tanzeem-i-Tajiran Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Malik Meher Ilahi, Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry leaders Ihtesham Haleem and Shakeel Ahmed Khan, and office-bearers of other organisations Haji Shaukat Ali Khan and others.

The protesters said that they had already presented their demands to the provincial government, but the concerned officials were taking the initiative to sit with the traders’ representatives and resolve their issues.

They pointed out that construction work of the heritage trail was substandard which had created hurdles in flow of rainwater. They claimed that sewage entered their shops during the recent rain, causing financial losses to the business community and local population as well.

They rejected the restrictions on entry of vehicular traffic in the area of heritage trail, saying that imposing ban on movement of auto-rickshaws, taxis or private cars was beyond imagination as the people were permanent residents of the area and could not accept such curbs.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2018