LAHORE  - Punjab Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal on Tuesday said the government had opened markets on the request of traders community but traders did not live up to the expectations.

He expressed these views while meeting with traders at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday. The minister lamented that seeing the crowd of people in Anarkali, Township, Ichhra and other markets presented horrifying spectacle.

Aslam Iqbal said that traders did not act upon SOPs and put the lives of citizens at stake for the sake of minting little money.

He warned that if SOPs were not implemented in letter and spirit then re-imposition of lockdown could not be averted. Aslam Iqbal apprised that coronavirus cases had surfaced in few markets and the government would close them down again.

He urged traders to implement on the chalked out SOPs and should also depute security guards at the entry points of the markets. He further added that traders would also ensure coronavirus tests of their staff members to be conducted in the markets.

The Minister appealed to the citizens to abstain from bringing children in the markets and also exhorted the traders community for adhering to precautionary measures.