Traders demand halt to loadshedding, kidnappings

Local trading bodies on Wednesday demanded of the government to immediately halt the unscheduled power load shedding, and called for taking notice of growing incidents of kidnapping for ransom and poor law and order situation in the province.
This demand was made in a joint resolution passed during a protest camp set up near Chowk Yadgar under the auspices of Peshawar Traders Alliance, newly formed forum of three trade bodies, including Markazi Anjum-e-Tajraan, Cantonment, Anjuman-e-Tajraan, Peshawar and Peshawar Business Council (PBC), against proposed unannounced electricity load shedding, levy of reformed general sale tax (RGST), lawlessness, unemployment and hike in petroleum products.
The protest camp was started at 9:00 am and continued till 1:00 pm, headed by its chairman Mohammad Israr, Sharafat Ali Mubarak, president Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajraan Cantonment. The traders hoisted banners in the protest camp and wore black ribbon bands on their arms, denouncing unprecedented unscheduled power outages, poor law and order situation, and proposed different taxes in forthcoming fiscal budget. They raised full-throated slogans against both federal and provincial governments.
The communiqué further demanded two-year extension in Prime Minister's special package for war-torn areas of the country. The resolution also condemned the growing incidents of kidnapping for ransom, particularly and rejected the proposed increase in Auqaf rents. The resolution also called for halt free supply of electricity to Wapda employees.
The government should take proactive measures against extortionist groups and provision of alternative facility for traders of Kurd in District Charssada, the resolution demanded. The traders also demanded through the declaration 13 percent power supply of the total production to the province, saying that it is the first right of local people, where the electricity locally is being produced.
The participants said that business activities had been adversely affected due to prolonged power outages in different parts of city, saying that there was sufficient electricity to meet domestic demand, but despite this fact the province faces 10 to 14 hours excessive power outages. The speakers said that incidents of kidnapping for ransom were on peak in wake of deteriorating law and order situation in settle areas of the province. The persistent cowardly acts of terrorism had shattered business and trade activities, they said. The participants said that the unscheduled electricity load shedding has aggravated the situation.
They criticised the government for failure to provide any kind of relief to poor masses, saying that the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities have made life of common man miserable. Rejecting the proposed levy of RGST, they said that the government plans to impose different direct and indirect taxes on poor masses in upcoming financial budget.
Sharafat Ali Mubarak said that the government had failed to accept their demands, due to which they had resorted to last option. "We had launched protest campaign against prolonged electricity load shedding, he said, adding that electricity has been produced in the province, but it was facing acute shortage and power crisis.
Mohammad Israr said that they will continue their protest till acceptance of their demands, adding that the business community is the worst affected by the unannounced load shedding. He demanded of the government uninterrupted power supply to business hubs to continue momentum of business activities.