Akbari Mandi traders have gone on a strike against the new 2007 Market Ordinance to press the government to drop various steps introduced in it. But Lahore Sugar Dealers Association President Asghar Butt rued the decision, saying the strike could damage business activities and consumers' interests.
His Food Grain Kariana Merchant (Akbari Mandi) counterpart, Khawaja Asghar, said his association would announce the next strategy in a day or two. There were reports of no-business activities in fruit and vegetable markets. Anjuman Arhtian Lahore President Chaudhry Muhammad Ijaz said there was no business activity in the market on Saturday.
When asked if they had called off their strike on Friday, after the government accepted two of their demands of not increasing the market fee, the annual license renewal fee and that of the new license, he said the decision came late, claiming his association was unable to communicate its decision to goods suppliers. But he said he hoped supply would be normal on Sunday and that they would review the situation to plan a future strategy.