Business community observe shutter-down strike across the country against hike in taxes, ‘Tajir Dost Scheme’ & excessive electricity bills on the call of Hafiz Naeemur Rehman
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/LAHORE/PESHAWAR/QUETTA ( WEB NEWS )
The business community on Wednesday observed shutter-down strike across the country against hike in taxes, “Tajir Dost Scheme” and excessive electricity bills on the call of the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.
The traders and political parties including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Awami National Party (ANP) had announced support for the shutter down strike announced by Emir JI Pakistan Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.
Trade bodies decided to go ahead with their planned strike following a failed meeting with FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial on Tuesday. The PML-N-led government implemented the Tajir Dost Scheme in April last and issued a notification of revised tax rates which took effect in August.
Shutter down strike was observed in Islamabad as all the major business centers remained closed on the appeal of Emir JI Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.
In Lahore, traders of Landa Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Anarkali, Badami Bagh Auto Market, Ferozepur Road and other markets observed shutter-down strike.
Traders of Rawalpindi also announced the city-wide shutter-down strike against the government schemes.
On the call of Rawalpindi Traders Association President Sharjeel Mir all major markets, including Raja Bazaar, and other areas remained closed on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, trade bodies throughout Punjab joined the strike.
The traders in Sindh also observed shutter-down strike. The President of All-Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran Sindh announced that businesses would remain closed on Wednesday.
Karachi Electronics Dealers Association President Muhammad Rizwan also supported the JI strike call and said the city would remain closed in protest against the government schemes. He said the strike could continue indefinitely if their demands were not met.
Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh asked all its members to fully support the countrywide strike by closing their businesses to force the government to withdraw the Tajir Dost Scheme and reduce high electricity bills and other taxes.
The SITE Association of Industry, the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry and the Central Association of Tajran Pakistan also extended support to the traders’ strike. Their leaders urged the government to promptly address the demands of the businessmen.
The trade bodies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the provincial capital Peshawar, had also decided to keep shutters down against the Tajir Dost Scheme and high tax rate. They demanded cut in electricity tariff also.
Traders in Balochistan also observed shutter down strike on Wednesday against “unjustified” taxes on small retailers. The decision to observe strike was taken at a joint meeting of trader associations.
JI Karachi Chief Monem Zafar called the Tajir Dost Scheme (trader-friendly scheme) a “tajir dushman scheme” (traders’ enemy scheme).
Speaking to the media in Karachi, Zafar said: “You (government) burdened the salaried class with taxes and you burdened traders with taxes under the ‘tajir dushman scheme’.”
Slamming the government for being “enemies” of the common citizens through imposing harsh tax policies, the JI leader said, “Whether it is the Zardari family or the Sharif family, we do not accept these policies.”
“The people do not accept this (taxes) and we once again demand that the politicians stop using delay tactics and giving ‘lollipops’ to the traders and the business community,” Zafar said.