The first token hunger strike camp in protest against increase in power tariff by 12 percent, 18 percent in natural gas, and unannounced load sheddings was established at Chowk Kutchery, Multan, on Tuesday as per decision of All Pakistan Traders Convention. A number of traders observed two-hour token hunger strike. It would also be observed on Wednesday in Multan.
Next week, it will be held in Vehari, while complete shutterdown would be observed on January 20 in the province. Protest rallies would be organised each week. It warned of more protests if unannounced load shedding was not stopped immediately.
Addressing the convention, Muhammad Shafiq, central chairman of Pakistan Traders Alliance (PTA), warned the government not to impose more taxes on traders, and reduce the general sales tax, stop corruption in taxation mechanism, and power theft, otherwise traders would be forced to launch a civil disobedience drive.
He said that traders were paying more taxes than financial tycoons and added that traders of southern Punjab were paying more taxes than Faisalabad and other big cities and they pay utility bills well in time regularly. In spite of that, 16 to 20 hours loadshedding was being observed in this region.
They appealed to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to look into the matter which was hitting the entire trading sector hard. They said prolonged power outages had forced them to launch the protest but if the Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) failed to meet its commitment, they would be left with no option but to stage more protests.
They said the business community was under the impression that there was an acute shortage of electricity in the country and they were ready to cooperate with the government, but unfortunately unannounced power outages had pushed the entire business as well as industrial sector to the wall and forced them to take to the streets.
They said that thousands of industrial workers were facing the threat of unemployment in the wake of non-availability of electricity but the government was playing the role of a silent spectator. They said the economic crisis would further deepen in coming days as the industry had failed to meet existing export orders let alone new orders. Traders said that bureaucracy was not interested in improving the situation and was pushing the trader to come on streets.