I WISH to draw attention to news items appearing quite often about the stand taken by traders against the ‘early’ closure of shops — as if the administration was encroaching upon their fundamental right.

Few people realise that the menace of opening shops after 11am and keeping them open till 11pm has disrupted our entire social fabric.

Besides the fact that the condemnable practice violates the Shop Act, it defies, first, laws of nature, which want us to work in daylight; second, it promotes the wastage of scarce energy with impunity by keeping the shops open till late at night. Third, it deprives the senior citizens the comfort of shopping in morning hours. Fourth, in the entire developed world, markets close at sunset, thereby helping traffic in peak hours.

I therefore, make a fervent appeal to fellow citizens to support the administration in enforcing the Shop Act; urge the government to keep markets open on Saturday and Sunday under the law, and urge the traffic police to strictly forbid roadside parking for all vehicles on main roads from 5pm to 8pm Monday to Friday to ease peak hour traffic.

If it appeals to reason, let all of us refrain from shopping on working days after the time mentioned in the Shop Act. Besides, I urge traders to help restore social order.

S. Muhammad Sibtain

Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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