PESHAWAR: Traders organisations here have expressed reservations about the revised standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government for marriage halls, restricting duration of ceremonies and number of guests, and warned to react in case of any action against them in Peshawar.

They warned to take a unified stand against the government in case it announced lockdown for containing Covid-19 pandemic.

The decision was taken in a joint meeting of the business community, which was held with Markazi Tanzeem-i-Tajiran president Malik Meher Ilahi in the chair.

According to a statement issued here on Tuesday, those who spoke on the occasion included Anjuman-i-Tajiran Peshawar president Mohammad Afzal, Anjuman Tanzeem-i-Tajiran provincial president Sharafat Ali Mubarak, Marriage Halls Owers Association president Khalid Ayub, Hotels Owners Association’s Habibullah Zahid, Tajir Ittehad Peshawar Cantt president Mujeebur Rehman, Alkidmat Tajiran president Khalid Gul, Traders Alliance president Ghulam Bilal, Tanzeem Tahaffuz Tajiran president Abdul Naseer, Tajir Insaf president Shahid Khan, City Tajiran president Abdullah Saraf, Car Dealers Association’s Bakht Mir Jan and others.

Through a unanimous resolution the participants urged the government to take the business community on board before taking any decision about lockdown otherwise the traders would not be blamed for violation of SOPs.

The traders rejected the decision about marriage halls and said that such initiatives were meant to shut down these halls. They said the number of guests varied in different events and time could not be fixed for conclusion of the ceremonies. They said the procedure for holding indoor and outdoor marriage ceremonies was not implementable.

They also rejected the possible closure of educational institutions, saying the previous prolonged lockdown had already caused a great loss and any new lockdown would mean spoiling future of the new generation.

The participants said the government should devise a mechanism to make face mask mandatory for customers.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2020