Report in Dawn, 08 Dec 2020
LAHORE: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) got a boost on Monday when the All-Pakistan Anjuman Tajran, the body representing trader community of the country, announced joining the anti-government campaign of the 11-party opposition alliance.
“The trader community will become a part of the PDM by participating in the Dec 13 public meeting of the opposition alliance,” the body’s secretary general Naeem Mir said in a video message.
He said the PDM was carrying forward the same stance on economy that the traders had been holding for the last two and a half years – the incumbent government is inept, incompetent and a security risk for the national economy.
He said the government had closed down various businesses, and if it was allowed to rule any further the traders would get annihilated because of its ‘flawed’ economic policies.
“Economy and the industry will remain dormant as long as this government is in power. Therefore, we announce our support for the PDM drive and are ready to become a part of it,” he announced.
Mr Mir hoped the PDM would organise a “historic rally” in Lahore on Dec 13, leading to the ouster of the government.
He requested all traders to fully participate in the rally while observing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to check the coronavirus spread.
Mr Mir said the virus was a test by nature, while this government had been imposed by some people and that the businessmen were giving this message to the “selectors” that “enough is enough”.
The traders’ community wanted a government that understood the pain and difficulties of the masses, he added.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1594627/traders-to-join-pdm-agitation
