Tough decisions aimed to protect lives of people, says CM

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has said that all the measures of the government including lockdown and social distancing aim at protecting the lives of the people against corona pandemic adding that the government’s measures would not yield the desired results until people including traders, shopkeepers and all other segments of society do not extend their cooperation.

He was talking to a delegation of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Anjman-e-Tajiran who called on him here at Chief Minister’s Secretariat Tuesday.

The delegation led by Sharafat Ali Mubarak, comprised Malik Meher Elahi, Ghazanfar Bilour, Adeel Rauf, Ghulam Javed, Habibullah Zahid, Ghulam Bilal , Ihtisham Haleem and others.

The delegation apprised the Chief Minister of the issues faced by traders and shopkeepers due to the lockdown situation, and demanded that some essential shops be allowed to open during the month of Ramazan subject to the strict implementation of SoPs.

The Chief Minister said that the government did not want to keep business activities closed but in the prevailing emergency situation some tough decisions are required to be taken to protect the lives of common man and urged upon all segments of society to extend cooperation and put their efforts together with the government in this difficult time.

“We are faced with a difficult situation of saving the people from Corona virus as well as from hunger at the same time, Mahmood Khan remark and urged upon the public to extend cooperation to the administration in the implementation of social distancing measures.

Mahmood Khan said that he fully realized the difficulties faced by small traders and shopkeepers due to lockdown situation and added that the government was working on resolving the issue of rents of the shops kept closed during the lockdown period.

He further informed the delegation that opening of Pak-Afghan border for exports was also under consideration.

On the demand of delegation regarding relief Package for small traders, Mahmood Khan said that the provincial government was taking necessary steps to give relief to all sectors within the available resources.

He assured that delegation that their issues related to the federal government would be taken with the federal government on priority basis for timely resolution.

Expressing his concern over the rapid increase of Corona cases in the province and especially the provincial capital, Mahmood Khan urged upon the traders, shopkeepers as well as the general public to strictly implement the preventive measures.