Govt asked to hold dialogues with traders within 3 days

MULTAN: Members of the Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran Pakistan have warned the government to hold dialogues with the traders’ representatives within three days otherwise options of lockdown and presenting keys of markets to the government at D Chowk are opened.

Talking to journalists on Monday, MATP chairman Khawaja Suleman Siddiqui said that one day of three days deadline had been lapsed leaving two days left. He said that the government should hold dialogues with the traders to solve their complaints. Khawaja Suleman Siddiqui said that he had suggested three options to countrywide traders’ leadership in case the government did not hold dialogues. He said that July 13 countrywide traders strike was remarkable and historical when traders demonstrated unity. He warned if the government did not realise the gravity of problems, the traders would lockdown after three days deadline.

The traders would go on lockdown for indefinite period after three days strike, he added.

Khawaja Suleman Siddiqui said that the traders would completely boycott returns on September 30. He said that the traders would protest at Islamabad and throw keys of markets at D Chowk. He said that the traders’ leadership would devise future strategy in Lahore and Islamabad meetings. He said that the country faced Rs 60 billion loss from one day strike and the government should realise the sensitivity of the issue. All the traders want to pay taxes but the tax procedure was not acceptable, he added. He underlined the need for levying fixed tax at small traders, which should exempt from the CNIC restrictions.