Traders observe complete shutter-down strike

Govt tax reforms
JAVED KHAN
PESHAWAR
A complete shutter-down strike was witnessed in Peshawar on Wednesday. The strike was called by MarkaziTanzeem-e-Tajran Pakistan and All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajran in opposition to the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) newly introduced “Tajir Dost Scheme”.
All business centers on University Road remained closed following the call of nationwide strike and all markets including those at the Saddar Road, Ashraf Road, GT Road, Shoba Bazaar, Kohati Bazar, NamakMandi Bazar, Hashtnagri Bazar, Shafi Market,Khyber Bazar, People Mandi, Qissa Khwani, Ghanta Ghar were completely closed all day long.
The City’s medicine association, mobile phone association, cloth markets in Saddarand inner city observed a complete shutter-down strike and supported the nationwide strike against the government scheme.
Meanwhile, Traders across cities, including Mardan, Nowshera, Charsadda, Swat, Chitral, Kohat, Bannu,Dera Imsial Khan, and other are also remain closed and all central and commercial areas in these cities were closed in order to in adhere with the strike.
All major political parties including Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami National Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Jamaat UlemaIslam backed the stance of the trader community and supported the nationwide strike against the heavy taxation imposed on the trader body.
Khalid Gul Mohmand, President of the Pakistan Business Forum Peshawar district, congratulated trade organizations,shopkeepers, and retailers in Peshawar for their successful strike on August28. He warned the federal government and FBR that they still have time to reconsider the “Tajir Dost Scheme” and withdraw it by tonight. If not, Mohmand threatened an indefinite strike, indicating that the business community is united and determined to resist the scheme, which they perceive as unfavorable to their interests.
Leaders of various trade organizations and political parties addressed a protest rally held in Peshawar, expressing strong opposition to the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) “Tajir DostScheme” and other government policies.
They criticized the FBR, calling it a”bribe-taking group” and accusing its officials of being slaves to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Bahrullah Khan, Senior Vice President,Pakistan Business Forum, and Ameer, Jamaat-e-Islami District Peshawar, MalikMaher Elahi President, Tajran Association, Milad Chowk, Haji Shaukat Ali, Chairman,Anjuman Tajran Peshawar, Peeple Mandi Chowk, Shahid Khan, Tajir InsafProvincial President, Sheikh Abdul Razaq Qissa Khawani Bazaar, Zafir Gul,President, Electronics Market, Zafar Khattak, Provincial President, Press and Publishers Association participated in the rally and delivered speeches against the federal government newly introduced schemes for the tradercommunity of the country. They demanded immediate withdrawal of the”Tajir Dost Scheme”, abolition of the hike in electricity bills and withdrawal of the overholding tax.
They argued that small shopkeepers cannot afford to pay Rs 20,000 to 60,000 per month to the FBR under the scheme.Aimal Wali Khan, the provincial president of the ANP, addressed a rally of the business community in Charsadda district and expressed his party’s full support for the traders’ stance against the”Tajir Dost Scheme”.