KOHAT: The wholesale traders of the government fruit and vegetable market held a protest rally on Thursday against the operation of the private fruit and vegetable market at a marriage hall after its sealing, saying it was incurring huge losses to them and the tehsil municipal administration.

Holding placards inscribed with demands for closure of the private market, the protesters also chanted slogans against its owner.

The president of the government market, Fayyaz Ahmed, said that the court had already suspended the working of the private market. He said that its owner was so influential that after the closure he shifted the market to his marriage hall.

Mr Ahmed said that as the private market was located in the city the wholesale traders preferred to take shops and cold storages on rent there due to which scores of outlets at the government facility were lying vacant on which TMA had spent millions of rupees.

He also said that the TMA was so weak that it could not close the illegal market.

AWARENESS WALK: DIG Kohat region Tayyab Hafeez Cheema has said that soon electronic database at the DIG and DPO offices will be connected with the cameras on the uniform of wardens to monitor their movements and flow of traffic.

The DIG and DPO Mansoor Aman led an awareness walk about traffic laws and road safety after which the officials distributed free helmets among the licence-holder motorcyclists on Thursday.

Traders, social and political activists and students participated in the walk that started from Peshawar square and ended at the Shuhada Chowk.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Cheema said that following traffic laws was a reflection of the civilised societies and asked the people to strictly follow the rules for the convenience of wardens and their own safety.

He advised the drivers to fasten seatbelt and avoid smoking, use of mobile phones, blue lights, tinted glasses and speeding besides taking care of pedestrians.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2019