Mall Road traders have demanded of the Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to implement the Lahore High Court (LHC)'s ban on rallies and protests on the Mall in letter and spirit as they are suffering millions of rupees losses due to sit-ins by people hailing from different walks of life on almost daily basis.
The Secretary General All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran Naeem Mir claimed that due to protests and rallies on the Mall, trader community has suffered a loss of millions of rupees during the past months. He said that over 30,000 shopkeepers are running their businesses on the Mall and they got upset when protestors occupy the Mall which causes huge business loss besides creasing a severe traffic mess.
He urged the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to direct the media houses not to cover any protest demonstrations and rallies on this most important place which would help minimise the scope of protest, especially outside the Punjab Assembly.
Lahore's main road, the Mall, has become the most suitable place for protesters where people from all over the province prefer to stage sit-ins and protest demonstrations in the metropolis to get noticed. Such demonstrations are causing huge losses to businesses community, local traders on the Mall said.
They also said "Customers don't visit shopping malls amid traffic mess," said Asif Bhatti, who runs a mobile shop on the Hall Road. He said that everyday protests were causing huge losses to the businesses. Recently, Farmers, workers, government employees, religious and political parties also did their protest at Faisal Chowk and despite the ban by the Lahore High Court. The provincial government and Punjab police should play their significant role to strictly implement the Lahore High Court's order on ban on protest on the Mall.