CHITRAL: The cabinet of the Traders’ Union Chitral had announced a holiday in the Chitral bazaar on the last Sunday of each month. However, compared to last month, this month’s closure was unsuccessful.
On Saturday, the President of the Traders’ Union announced that the bazaar would remain closed on Sunday, August 24. But many shopkeepers refused to follow the directive and kept their shops open, arguing that the last Sunday of this month falls on August 31, not August 24, therefore the closure should be observed on August 31 instead.
On the other hand, people from different walks of life in Chitral opposed the idea of a Sunday holiday, stating that most government employees do their shopping on Sundays. They said the closure of markets causes them difficulties and inconvenience.
Some traders also opposed the holiday, saying that most shopkeepers pay heavy rents for their shops and, along with household and other expenses, cannot afford such closures.
Passengers also complained of difficulties on Sunday due to the closure of restaurants and other facilities.
It is worth noting that last month’s Sunday holiday was 98% successful, whereas this time around, 70% of shops remained closed and 30% stayed open. For this reason, the closure has been declared unsuccessful.
