BAJAUR: Traders of Pashat Bazaar on Saturday staged a demonstration against the increase in shops’ rent by owners and lack of facilities in the trading centre.

The protesting vendors alleged that owners of their shops had suddenly raised the rents by 100 per cent, which was unjustified.

The traders claimed that the decision was against the law, which stipulated that a shop’s rent should be increased up to 10 per cent annually.

The protesting traders said that Pashat Bazaar, which had over 3,000 shops, lacked basic facilities such like a bank, drinking water, public washrooms, and waiting areas.

They called upon the shop owners to ensure provision of such facilities in the market, and take them into confidence before making any increase in the rent.

Meanwhile, the district administration has sealed 19 arms shops during an action launched against unregistered arms dealers in Bajaur.

Nineteen unregistered arms shops have been sealed in Khar Bazaar in a bid to regulate the arms business in the district, a statement issued here the other day said. A joint team of the district administration and police led by Khar assistant commissioner Dr Sadiq Ali inspected several arms shops, and found 19 of them operating without the legal documents, mandatory for such businesses, said the statement.

It said the district administration launched the action after arms dealers failed to get their businesses legalised. The district administration had issued directives to the arms dealers on May 12, 2023, to get business legalised by obtaining the necessary documents, but most of them didn’t comply.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2025