KARACHI – Athar Sultan Chawla, Convener All Pakistan Restaurant Association (APRA), while welcoming the decision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to keep businesses, industries open and provide relief, said that restaurant owners across the country not only fully support the Prime Minister’s initiatives and will continue to co-operate with the government in every possible way.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Athar Sultan Chawla appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to reconsider decision to close restaurants till 10 pm, saying that the restaurant industry was already in deep financial crisis due to the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
”Closing restaurants at 10 pm is not a solution to the problem as in severe economic crises, the country’s economy can never afford to close business or limit working hours”, he added. The restaurant industry strictly adheres to Corona SOPs and all restaurants not only ensure social distance but also strict adherence to health principles.
Athar Chawla feared that if business hours were restricted and the restaurant industry was shut down again, billions of rupees would be lost and 40 other industries would be destroyed, while millions of workers will lose their jobs.
APRA Convener appealed Prime Minister Imran Khan to reconsider decision to close restaurants till 10 pm so that the wheel of the economy can run and create new employment opportunities with new investments.
