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Traders reject Malik’s warning, refuse to close shops at 8pm

ISLAMABAD: Traders in most cities and town across the country rejected one of the key measures in the government’s electricity conservation plan and kept their shops open after 8pm on Friday. Wedding halls continued their business after 11pm.

During a meeting with members of the business community here on Friday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik warned that shops which remained open after 8pm would be sealed for one month.

But the Traders Action Committee ignored Mr Malik’s warning and announced that shops would remain open till 10pm. It said that traders had voluntarily reduced electricity consumption by 50 per cent. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a meeting with representatives of trade bodies, business associations and chambers of commerce in Lahore to try to get their support for the government’s energy plan.

“The idea of rationalising electricity is good for the industry, domestic consumers and other businesses,” Kashif Shabbir, president of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Dawn after the meeting.

However, he said the situation would get worse if authorities used force to implement the decision. “Our main concern is that the closure timing for shops in Rawalpindi and Islamabad should be same. “If we close at 8pm and Islamabad is open till 10pm our customers will go there,” he added. However, after the meeting with the chief minister, a group of traders led by Ashraf Bhatti announced that traders would follow the government’s shutdown timing.

Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervaiz and DCO Sajjad Bhutta also held meetings with city traders to persuade them to implement the government decision. The traders were of the opinion that if one market challenged the decision, the others would follow suit.

Defying the government’s plan, traders in Rawalpindi opened their shops on Friday, which is traditionally the weekly day off, and continued business till 10pm.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said that energy conservation measures would be implemented from Saturday, adding that provincial police had prepared an action plan in this regard.

Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmed told reporters that special police teams had been formed to implement the government’s decision. He said that action would be taken if shops and markets were not closed at 8pm.

Convenor of the Supreme Council of Traders Imran Saeed Bhagpati rejected the government plan and said that KESC was not under the control of the chief minister. “Can the CM assure that KESC will implement its earlier agreements with traders,” he told Dawn.

Mr Bhagpati said that because of hot and humid summer people in Karachi used to go for shopping after sunset and it would be difficult for traders to close businesses at 8pm.

He said that traders and the business community were not getting anything from the government, but they were contributing to the national exchequer. “Instead of recognising this, the government is threatening us,” Mr Bhagpati regretted.

Haji Aleem Jan, a leader of the traders’ community in Peshawar, said that early closure of shops would adversely affect the already declining business activities in the province which experienced terror attacks almost every day.

He said that instead of improving the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government appeared to be bent on making life difficult for traders. “I don’t understand when will consumers come for shopping?”