A traders' leader Jahangir Akhtar on Thursday said he would observe hunger strike till death in front of ministries of commerce and industry if his demands were not met. Akhtar, who has started hunger strike till death at Abpara Market against unnecessary delay in approval of Chamber of Small Traders and Cottage Industry, said there is no question of backtracking from a just stance.
The issue of fraudulent appropriation of hundreds of plots at I-10/3 earmarked for workshops should be taken up and money should be recovered. This amount should be distributed among IDPs, he demanded. He said that a plan is being executed to deprive Pakistan of billions in the name of Chakri industrial estate, which would be resisted. Twin cities do not need more industrial estates in these times of economic slump, he opined. This he said while talking to different delegations of traders from Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
On the occasion Chaudhry Muhammad Wasim, President Mobile Phone Association announced unconditional support to the trader. He said that his association was supporting the move as top business bodies are just concerned for themselves. "We have always been used as bargaining chip, for strikes and shutter-downs and later thrown as a used tissue paper," he regretted.
Other traders lauded the veteran leader who is fighting for their cause without considering his age and other factors. They asked Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Minister for Industries and Production Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo to resolve the issue.