The back to back suicide attacks on the busy Moon Market of Allama Iqbal Town here on Monday night have scared the people and deserted the sprawling city's hundreds of markets, traders told Business Recorder here on Tuesday. "It would take a long time to restore customers' confidence to go out for shopping in big markets and shopping plazas or dine in the popular food streets after these heinous terrorist attacks " they apprehended.
It may be added that more than fifty people were killed and over 100 injured by the bomb blasts during rush hours in the Moon Market. The attack on a security agency's office in the heart of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's historic Multan city on Tuesday further cemented the peoples fears.
Chairman law and order regional committee of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kh. Khawar Rasheed said people and the trading community are in a state of shock and several markets remained closed on Tuesday to express solidarity with the victims of Moon Market bomb blasts. "Pakistan is fighting the international war against terrorism, therefore, Pakistan business community must take immediate special measure to provide security to the customers", he added.
He said the shopping plazas and markets should install detectors/screeners/close-circuit -TVs (CCTV) and post armed guards to deter the terrorists. Former senior vice president Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Sohail Lashari said that the traders and market associations must regulate their business and fix trading hours for all kind of business. "Every where in the developed world, traders and shop-keepers work from 9 am to 5 pm and business is closed during the day time except for the bakeries and restaurants.
Lashari said open spaces and verandas of all commercial markets and service roads are flooded with vendors making it almost impossible for the law enforcing agencies to detect and arrest the terrorists in the metropolitan city. FPCCI, Muhammad Nadeem Bhatti said there is no need for the popular business centres and shopping plazas to remain opened during the night and be a security risk for the people, he cautioned.
Bhatti suggested that encroachments in the markets and marriage halls and other venues of social functions must be closed during the daylight. "We must clear our cities of unidentified vendors especially of Afghan origin to check the terrorists who have invaded our cities and towns, as a daily wagers or vendors", he suggested.
Chairman Pakistan Industry & Traders Association Front (PIAF) said the government should immediately call an emergency meeting of all the associations of the industrialists, traders and businessmen to evolve a workable strategy to defeat the terrorists and Pakistan's enemies in an effective and co-ordinated manner.
He suggested that the government must empower the associations of markets, shopping plazas and traders to be responsible for the security and protection of the customers and commercial centres. He said the business and industrial community instead of depending too much on the governmental measures should take security matters in their own hands and regulate the business activities through fixing the trading and shopping hours of their respective markets, plazas and commercial centres.
He suggested all commercial centres and shopping plazas should make their own security arrangements under the guidance and supervision of the government agencies. Meanwhile senior political advisor to the Chief Minister Pervez Malik on Tuesday visited Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and discussed security matters with the business community.
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