FAISALABAD: Traders have refused to join hands with exporters and the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) to observe a strike on Tuesday (today), saying they have been deceived repeatedly by them in the past.

However, Mian Naeem, chairman of the joint action committee formed to resolve the issues, claimed that some of the elements might not join hands with them, but most were ready for the shutter-down strike.

The joint action committee on Feb 22 had announced a strike against the government’s decision of enhancing gas and electricity prices, making provision of identity card mandatory and 17 per cent sales tax on them.

Mehmood Alam Jutt, the Anjuman-i-Tajiran City secretary, claimed that traders would stay away from the strike call given by the action committee.

Abbas Haider, a representative of the cloth board, said they would not support the strike call as they had not been taken into confidence. He said not a single member of their organisation would shut their businesses and continue in routine.

However, the committee’s Naeem claimed the cloth board was going to organise a protest gathering at the Clock Tower and did not mind if some elements did not support their cause.

To a question that the action committee had said the cloth board would organise the protest at the Clock Tower intersection, the board’s Haider said they had not given any assurance for the gathering. “We have categorically informed the action committee that we will not be part of the strike,” he added.

The action committee chairman said they were observing a strike by closing their units as they were not in a position to run them effectively due to surging prices of utility bills.

He claimed that the All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills, chamber of commerce members, the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMEA) and other organisations would also be part of the strike.

The central chairman of the PHMEA, Haji Salamat Ali, said his association would extend all help to the action committee as the issues being raised by the committee were haunting every business. He said the government had claimed level-playing field for the business community, however, practically it was doing otherwise.

He said they could not compete with the international community without having relief in Pakistan.

ARRESTED: Police claimed on Monday to have arrested two members of a cattle thief gang and recovered about 24 animals from their possession.

Police claimed a crackdown was launched in the areas of Saddar and Dijkot police and two gang members were arrested with stolen buffalos and cows worth of Rs2 million.

Police said an investigation into the matter had been launched to trace the absconding members of the gang.

City Police Officer Sohail Chaudhry said the police were actively working to wipe out criminal gangs from the district.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2020