Trading community is experiencing worst ever mental torture due to continuous lockdown owing to outbreak of coronavirus in Pakistan.

This situation has not only brought our economic activities to a grinding halt but also opened flood gates of unemployment, said Rana Sikandar Azam Khan, president Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI).

He was talking to a delegation of traders belong to Nishatabad here on Thursday. He said that he is fully aware of the ill-impacts of continuous lockdown and due to his sincere efforts, the government has allowed export sector to re-start its operation by following necessary precautionary measures. He said that the government should also consider allowing businessmen to open their shops by following the same SOP as fixed for export-related industrial sector. He said that small traders are much depressed with the continuous lockdown which is not only adding financial burden with every passing day but also eroding their financial base.He further said that most of the shopkeepers have rented premises and now they have nothing left with them to pay the rent and utility bills. He further said that realizing the hardships of their employees they had paid the full salary for the month of March but they would be unable to pay the salary for the month of April if lockdown further continued.