Traders action committee on Saturday announced a three-day commercial strike beginning from Monday to protest against the budgetary steps, demanding the government to withdraw taxation measures. Representatives of traders' action committee made this announcement at a joint press conference that was called in emergency after their 72-hour ultimatum to the government for withdrawal of the budgetary measures expired. Many business associations are represented in the committee.
The protesting traders want the federal government to revisit the taxation measures taken in the fiscal budget 2018-19. They also warned that they would go to prolonged strike in Karachi with a spillover effects across the country, if their demands went unheard. They also slammed Sindh governor for his remarks challenging the businessmen to bow down to the government's writ.
They said that traders would show unity in their ranks to prove they can jointly succeed with the strike. They also asked the Sindh government to resign. They again presented their demands: The value-added tax should end, turnover tax should be brought to 0.3 percent from 0.6 percent, sales tax waiver on Rs 10 million sales, exemption of income tax on Rs 1.2 million income, fixed tax should be introduced, removing of CNIC condition for Rs 50 thousand and above sales, new law regarding phones registration with the PTA should be abolished and Rs 400 per handset should be charged, 10 percent regulatory on secondhand cloths should be waived, etc.
The traders also raised slogans against the federal budget. They said that they would continue to resist 'unjustified' taxation measures and if needed, they would expand it to other parts of the country. They urged that the government should stop harassing traders and step speedily solve their longstanding problems. They complained of widespread unrest among the small traders, in particular.
Those held press conference included: Jamil Paracha, Rizwan Irfan, Waqas Azeem, Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Ihsan Gujar, Kashif Sabrani, Mehmood, Haroon Chand, Sharjeel Goplani, Zahid Malik and others. The call for strike drummed up wider support from All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, Sindh Tajir Ittehad, Karachi Electronics Dealers Association, Karachi Timber Market Association, Medicine Market Association, All Karachi City Tajir Ittehad, Anjuman Tajiran Karachi, All Karachi Sarraf and Jewelers Association, etc.
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