PESHAWAR: The traders on Friday took out a rally against the cantonment board for turning the Saddar Road into one-way, and described it an attempt to snatch livelihood from the business community.

Holding banners and placards, the traders marched on the Saddar Road and held a rally at the Stadium Chowk, shouting slogans in support of their demands.

Speaking on the occasion, Tajir Ittehad leader Mujeeb-ur-Rehman said the business community had opposed the decision from the very start but the authorities concerned did not pay attention. He said the decision had not only affected the business activities in Peshawar Saddar but also disrupted the traffic system.

Mr Rehman said the worst affected of the closure of the Saddar Road were the students who could not reach their institutions timely due to traffic jams in the morning and afternoon. He said ambulances also remained stuck in the gridlocks.

He rejected the version of the cantonment board’s officials that the road had been made one-way on request of the traders, saying the board had not fulfilled its commitments with the traders. “We had requested the officials to open all the closed roads in the cantonment in order to facilitate the public and distribute the huge traffic on different routes,” he explained.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2019