LAHORE   -    On the direction of Chairman PTI Imran Khan. Punjab Chief Minister Ch Parvez Elahi Wednesday an­nounced major steps to provide relief to the traders community in Punjab. The chief minister had a meeting with the representatives of traders community belonging to Punjab at the CM secretariat here.

Addressing the traders, Parvez Elahi announced to lift the ban on the business timings across Punjab ,adding, that all the busi­ness centres, markets and shops will remain open on Sunday in the whole of Punjab. He revealed that the Sunday holiday for the busi­ness centres, markets and shops was no longer applicable. He dis­closed that the 9 pm business tim­ing restriction on the business centres,markets and shops had also been lifted. He vowed to re­solve parking problems so as to give relief to the traders commu­nity and stated to be fully aware of their problems. The CM de­nounced that PML-N made a huge propaganda that with the arrival of Shehbaz Sharif government things would change. He said that noth­ing changed but rather Shehbaz Sharif government brought mas­sive price-hike and also had put a heavy burden on the traders.

The CM alleged that PML-N sup­ported and patronised the parking mafia and vowed to do away with the parking mafia. He informed that the 30 per cent income earned from parking will be spent to pro­vide facilities to the traders. The CM announced to set up Rescue 1122 centres in the markets. He said that a committee under the headship of Provincial Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and the trader leader Nasir Salman had been con­stituted to resolve the problems of the traders’ community. “Accord­ing to the direction of PTI Chair­man Imran Khan we adhere to the vision of “Prosperous Trader and Punjab”,he said. Meanwhile, Sec­retary General of PTI Asad Omer has lauded that Ch Parvez Elahi during his last tenure as chief minister did a lot of commend­able work and was highly praised in Pakistan due to his appreciable performance. He said that the traders community had to face dif­ficulties due to the corona disease and other problems in the past few years and it was our responsibil­ity to resolve the problems of the traders community. Focal Person of Chairman PTI for traders Nasir Salman said: “We intend to pres­ent the idea of ‘’ Downtown’’ and Kiosk in the markets like in the developing countries”. He added that the markets of all cities in­cluding Lahore,Faisalabad,Multan and Gujranwala are necessary to be brought equal to the world subsequently so that the buyer can be persuaded for shopping and the shopkeeper as well as the trader can be provided facilities. He stated that PTI was endeav­ouring to eradicate poverty by promoting trade.He vowed to re­solve the problems of the traders on the priority basis. Focal Person of Chairman PTI for traders Na­sir Salman,Secretary General PTI Asad Omer,former Federal Minis­ter Shafqat Mehmood, Provincial Ministers Yasmin Rashid,Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Muham­madMohsin Leghari, Hanif Patafi, Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar,Principal Secretary to CM Muhammad Khan Bhatti,Chairman P&D,ACS(Home) Secretaries of concerned departments and se­nior officials were also present on the occasion.