RAWALPINDI: Responding to a country-wide strike call issued by traders’ associations across the country, the business community in the twin cities went on a strike on Wednesday to protest the new tax measures by the government as well as power bills.

In Rawalpindi, businessmen kept their shutters down, observing a complete strike against the ‘Tajir Dost Scheme’ after a strike call was given by several trader bodies to press the government to accept their charter of demand.

In the garrison city, all the main commercial hubs, including Raja Bazaar, Narankari Bazaar, Ganjmandi, Murree Road, Liaquat Road, Sarafa Bazaar, Bank Road, Haider Road, Adamjee Road, Chota Bazaar, Kamran Market, Tench Bhatta, Chaklala Scheme-III Commercial Market, Ch. Bostan Khan Road, Adiala Road, College Road, Urdu Bazaar, Sabzi Mandi, Mochi Bazaar, Jamia Masjid Road, Banni Chowk, Bara Market, China Market and Commercial Market remained closed throughout the day.

The vegetable market in Raja Bazaar was also closed, except for a few stallholders who set up their stalls in the main market.

Leaders say new strategy to be announced if govt fails to accept demands

The shops in residential areas also remained closed as the shopkeepers expressed their solidarity with the traders against the government.

Shopkeepers staged demonstrations in Tench Bhatta, Saddar, Raja Bazaar, Commercial Market, Sadiqabad, Chandni Chowk, and Murree Road. Some protesters also closed the roads in a few places but the strike generally remained peaceful.

Anjuman Tajiran Punjab and Rawalpindi President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha told Dawn that the strike proved that the traders had rejected the Tajir Dost Scheme, new taxes and increased electricity bills.

“After two days, the Anjuman Tajiran Pakistan will announce its new action plan if the government did not accept our demands. Additional taxes, electricity, gas, petrol prices and inflated electricity bills have been rejected,” he said.

He pointed towards the success of the strike and urged the government to accept the demands of the business community.

He said that the government should revise contracts with the IPPs and before taxing the traders, the representatives of All Pakistan Anjuman Tajiran should be consulted.

Mr Paracha claimed tax notices to the tune of Rs20,000 to Rs60,000 were issued to all the big and small shopkeepers under the Tajir Dost Scheme. Rawalpindi Traders Association President Sharjeel Mir said the traders gave the message against new taxes.

“The product cost will escalate through new taxes and the purchasing power of the people will reduce,” he claimed.

“We will see the response of the government in a few days. If the government fails to accept our demands then the traders will stage sit-ins in every city of the country and Islamabad,” said Zafar Qadri, Rawalpindi Cantonment Traders Association general secretary.

He said that in the first phase, a day long strike was observed but “we will go for three-day shutter down strike and wheeljam” in the country in the next phase. He said the complete strike in Rawalpindi proved that they were ready for struggle to meet their demands.

Islamabad strike

In a rare show of unity, not only the traders and the small businesses, but even many outlets of the national clothing brands participated in the shutter-down strike in the federal capital. In contrast to the past, even the tea stalls, local restaurants and tandoors suspended their activities against the tax scheme.

“Apart from the top-line food chains, we requested all the clothing outlets and other stores to become part of the strike and they obliged,” said Abdul Rehman, president of the Traders Welfare Association in F-7 Markaz.

The strike was observed in other markets, including Blue Area and F-6 Markaz, while the impact was clearly visible in the low and mid-level markets as well as on the outskirts of the city. Due to the support of the Naanbai Association, almost all the tandoors in the city too remained closed on Wednesday.

The supporters of the two main rival bodies of the traders the Markazi Tanzeem-i-Tajiran Pakistan and the Anjuman-i-Tajiran Pakistan, were seen moving around together in the markets to ensure that the strike call was being observed.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the traders’ bodies termed the shutter-down strike a referendum against the malpractices in the FBR.

“We demand the government to reform the tax collecting body to bridge the trust deficit between the taxpayers and the FBR,” said Ajmal Baloch, president of Anjuman-i-Tajiran Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2024