Staff Reporter
Peshawar
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan Tuesday said that all the measures of the government including lockdown and social distancing aimed at protecting the lives of the people against coronavirus pandemic. He was talking to a delegation of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Anjman-e-Tajiran who called on him here at Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
The chief minister said the government’s measures would not yield the desired results until people including traders, shopkeepers and all other segments of society did not extend their cooperation. The delegation led by Sharafat Ali Mubarak, comprised Malik Meher Elahi, Ghazanfar Bilour, Adeel Rauf, Ghulam Javed, Habibullah Zahid, Ghulam Bilal, Ihtisham Haleem and others.
The delegation apprised the chief minister of the issues faced by traders and shopkeepers due to the lockdown situation, and demanded that some essential shops be allowed to open during the holy month of Ramazan subject to the strict implementation of SoPs. The chief minister said that the government did not want to keep business activities closed but in the prevailing emergency situation some tough decisions were required to be taken to protect the lives of commonman and urged upon all segments of the society to extend cooperation and put their efforts together with the government in this difficult time.
“We are faced with a difficult situation of saving the people from coronavirus as well as from hunger at the same time,” Mahmood Khan remark and urged upon the public to extend cooperation to the administration in the implementation of social distancing measures. Mahmood Khan said that he fully realized the difficulties faced by small traders and shopkeepers due to lockdown situation and added that the government was working on resolving the issue of rents of the shops kept closed during the lockdown period. He further informed the delegation that opening of Pak-Afghan border for exports was also under consideration.
On the demand of delegation regarding relief Package for small traders, Mahmood Khan said that the provincial government was taking necessary steps to give relief.
