MULTAN City News

Traders protest against WHT
Announce to stop dealing with banks from Friday, countrywide shutdown on 9th
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: Following an appeal made by the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT), the local traders on Wednesday staged a sit-in in front of the Regional Tax Directorate in the first phase of agitation against the imposition of 0.3pc with holding tax (WHT) on banking transactions.
The protesters led by All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran central chairman Khawaja Muhammad Shafiq chanted slogans against the government for levying WHT and burnt tyres in protest. They demanded the government withdraw the unjustified tax.
Addressing the traders, Kh Shafiq announced that the traders would not pay WHT at any level at any cost. He said the government had failed in providing relief to the business community. “The imposition of WHT is a drone strike on traders and the government is forcing the people to pay for its failed policies.” He said the traders were going to stop bank transactions and business with banks in the second phase of agitation from Friday. He said the traders had decided to observe countrywide shutterdown on September 9.
Kh Shafiq said the traders had unanimously rejected the withholding tax as it would cause 30 per cent increase in prices. He claimed that the WHT had been imposed on the direction of the International Monetary Fund. He blamed the federal finance minister for further complicating the issue. “If the government does not entertain their demands, they might go on strike for indefinite period,” he warned. He declared protest demonstrations a referendum against the government’s failed policies. He said the business community had good expectations from PM Nawaz Sharif, but the traders had been suffering the most during the PML-N government. He claimed that the traders had responded to the APAT call as rallies were taken in all the cities. He, however, said that the APAT would call off the agitation if the government accepted their charter of demands.