ISLAMABAD: The business community on Saturday gave a mix reaction to the country wide shutter-down strike given by the trader's bodies to protest imposition of certain taxes in the budget.
Some markets and shopping malls remained closed in the morning but later resuming business activities after noon. Mostly shops dealing with business of chicken, meat, vegetables and grocery items, restaurants and medical stores remained opened in all localities. Routine traffic was also witnessed on roads across the country.
The traders have been divided on the issue of shutter-down strike as some groups observed strike but others kept their businesses open.
In Karachi, a lukewarm response was registered in various parts of the city as the traders commence their businesses by 12 o clock noon and they were witnessed to be at their shops as usual with some of them sitting in front of their show rooms with shutters being partially down.
Retail shops and general stores in different residential areas, across the metropolis, were reported to had been opened since morning while many of those located in commercial areas appeared to be waiting for initial response of the community to the call given by Markaz e Tanzeem Tajiran Pakistan (MTTP) and All Pakistan Tajiran, an umbrella organization of different traders' bodies.
Consequently, main markets of surgical goods and medical supplies, handicrafts and decoration items, all major malls and retailers doing their businesses in carpets, garments, shoes along with other consumer items preferred to pull up their shutters.
Shops at major electronic markets in Clifton, Gulshan e Iqbal and Saddar also preferred not to adopt any extreme stance and were attending to their customers. Business as usual was hence the scenario in Saddar, Main M.A.Jinnah Road, Liaqutabad, Tariq Road, Clifton areas by 14:45 hours.
However, major auto-car dealers and traders of associated accessories preferred to keep their business largely suspended.
"We are mainly affected due to fresh taxation procedure introduced under the national budget for the year 2019-2020," said Khalid Shah with his show room at Khalid bin Waleed Road.
The daily wage earners and people with modest source of income, expressing their support for the government stance, said the businessmen engaged in luxury good items and earning in millions simply do not want to come under the taxation cover. Similarly, in other cities including the federal capital, Rawalpindi, Multan, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Lahore, Faisalabad and Quetta etc also witnessed partial shutter down strike. In Sargodha, small traders rejected the strike as all small markets remained opened, whereas partial strike was observed in the main markets of the city.
In response to the strike call, traders of main markets including Kutchery Bazaar, Karkhana Bazaar, city road, Azad road, Muslim Baazar, Amin Bazaar and Liaqat Bazaar observed strike till 1:00 pm.
Whereas, traders and shopkeepers of Fatima Jinnah Road, Bhalwal road, Satellite town, Noori Gate Bazaar, Khushab, University roads, PAF road, Sabzi Mandi, Mohni road rejected the strike call.
Various trader unions also took some procession in various cities areas which were participated by political activists of main stream political organizations. Criticizing, the government, Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran (Punjab) President Sharjeel Mir said the business community showed their unity against the wrong policies.
Tight security measures were being adopted by the police administrations during the protests. However, some markets in the major cities remained closed on the call given by the traders bodies for pressing their demand.
President Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Malik Shahid Saleem said the government must show flexibility and address the concerns of the traders on Sales Tax regime.
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