Restaurants association, hotel owners protest over business closure

ISLAMABAD: Restaurants association and hotel owners, on Saturday, staged a protest demonstration against closure of their business for two days in a week. They gathered at Kohsar Market and demanded of the government to review the decision of closing restaurants and hotels for two days in a week and also demanded to give permission for outdoor dining.

The protesters were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans including stop killing of poor and against closing of their business for two days in a week.

The protesters said that if their demand was not taken seriously, they would be left with no option but to stage protest outside the Parliament House.

They said that the government needed to immediately allow them to do their business, so that they could earn their livelihood.

According to a notification issued by ICT administration on March 19 outdoor dining in restaurants will be closed at 10:00 pm in the city during the weekdays and for the weekends (Saturday and Sunday) both indoor and outdoor dining will remain closed along with all other commercial activities other than essential services.

However, takeaway activity of restaurants does not fall under this restriction and will continue subject to observation of COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021