Strike against raise in sales tax in Faisalabad, Gujranwala

FAISALABAD: On the call of the Anjuman-e-Tajran Supreme Council, a complete shutter down was observed against increase in sales tax here on Monday.

Eight bazaars around Clock Tower remained closed to register their protest. Shops and business centres on Samundri Road, Circular Road, Dijkot Road and Susan Road also remained closed. The shopping centres would also remain closed today. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 powerloom units and around 500 textile processing units have already been on strike for the last one week, rendering millions of workers jobless.

MULTAN: The Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran Pakistan (MATP) will observe complete strike in south Punjab on July 13 if the government does not entertain their 32-point charter of demands. Addressing a press conference at the press club here on Monday, the MATP office-bearers asked Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi to play his role in acceptance of the traders’ charter of demands. MATP chairman Khawaja Suleman Siddiqui said that the MATP had become the major representative body of traders in the country and a number of Lahore traders’ bodies had joined the MATP. Those joined the MATP included Pakistan Traders Alliance, Shah Alam Board, Lahore Businessmen Front, Ashraf Bhatti and Khawaja Shafiq groups, he added. Khawaja Suleman said that the traders were facing several problems due to inflation, declining economy and rupee devaluation against US dollar. The government had levied unjustified taxes in the budget 2019/20, he added. He said that budget had created a sense of unrest among small traders. He said that all allied traders’ bodies had unanimously rejected the taxes levied in the budget. He said that the traders would go on strike for an indefinite period after shutter down strike if the government did not accept their demands. MATP secretary general Syed Abdul Qayyum Agha, Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran Cantonment Boards chairman Malik Nazir Awan, vice-chairman Sheikh Akram Hakim and others also spoke.

GUJRANWALA: Following the decision of traders association regarding a two-day strike against taxes imposed in federal budget, mostly markets of Gujranwala, including cloth markets, Kasera Bazaar, Purana Musafar Khana Market and Rail Bazaar, remained closed on Monday. All Pakistan Stainless Steel Association also observed the strike and kept shops closed. Powerlooms association and marble association also staged protest against taxes in the budget. The protesters demanded withdrawal of 17 per cent sales tax on marble industry. Office-bearers of trade unions and other associations said they would continue the strike on Tuesday as well.