Traders demand shops to be open 24/7 till Eid-ul-Azha

The All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT) has demanded that the government allow them to open the shops for seven days, 24 hours a day as Eid-ul-Azha approaches, Geo News reported.

The traders’ body has rejected the recommendation to close shops a week before Eid-ul-Azha, saying the only way to control the rush is to open the shops for 24 hours.

Last week, the APAT had given the government till the end of July to meet its demands such as interest-free loans following the prolonged closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Traders should be given interest-free loans,” APAT and Traders Action Committee Islamabad President Ajmal Baloch had said, adding that if their demands were not met till July 31, a “send the government home” campaign would start.

The government has imposed a lockdown across the country to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Traders have also demanded that restaurants, schools, hotels, and wedding halls be allowed to resume activities immediately, adding that businesses be allowed to operate till 10pm.

Last month, the Punjab government had eased the coronavirus lockdown, permitting businesses and shopping malls — except those in the 'negative list' — to open all days 9am-7pm barred Saturdays and Sundays.

Similarly, the government of Sindh had also eased the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic, allowing businesses to resume activities five days a week — barred Saturdays and Sundays — from 6am-7pm.