The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) has appealed to the government to extend permission to the business community to run their businesses 24/7 till Eidul Fitr. All shopping malls should be reopened with strict implementation of the government SOPs in their true spirit.

PIAF chairman Mian Nauman Kabir, in a joint statement with senior vice chairman Nasir Hameed Khan and vice chairman Javed Iqbal Siddiqi issued in Lahore on Friday, asked the government to avoid issuing threatening statements of reimposing lockdown, as it would create panic further among the business community as well as the general public, who already visit markets in haste owing to time limitation, resulting into more rush. PIAF chairman said that partial implementation of SOPs is just due to the limited market hours and changed routine owing to Ramazan. 

Mian Nauman Kabir also observed that COVID-19 cases’ fatality rate in Pakistan is very low, at about 2% against the global figure, with recovery figure of more than 98% for which the government is appreciated for taking the immediate measure to control the outbreak in the country. At the same time, instead of creating an environment of fear and stress, we must recognize the symptoms and exercise as many precautions as possible, he suggested.

Javed Iqbal Siddiqi pointed out that fatality rate in Pakistan due to COVID-19 is very low as compared to other diseases such as Hepatitis (which claims nearly 150,000 lives on average every year with over 400 people losing life daily), cancer and heart disease, claiming around 200,000 deaths in a year. Quoting the data of WHO and UNICEF, he mentioned that only 30 to 40 percent population has access to clean drinking water in comparison to the world average of around 72 percent.  

Javed Iqbal Siddiqi said that the Eid is an important event for the business community when business liabilities are paid off along with benefits to hundreds of thousands of people attached to different operations of the economic activities; hence, all economic areas should be functioning smoothly.

He observed that COVID-19 was diagnosed in China in Jan 2020 and till now no vaccine is available to treat Corona patients, which may take a year, therefore; it is very important to get adapted to the situation while recognizing all precautionary measures such as washing hands very often, wearing face masks, and avoiding unnecessary contact with everyone, etc instead of shutting the businesses altogether. 

He pleaded that the ease in the lockdown would not only reduce the financial depressions but also progress the economic activities in the country. Therefore, the business community should be allowed to run businesses 24/7 till Eid, he demanded.

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