Pakistan: Traders call for nationwide strike as talks with government end in stalemate

The traders’ community, have once again called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday as their talks with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) ended in a stalemate, according to ARY News.

The Anjuman-e-Tajiran’s Central President, Kashif Chaudhry, called the government’s negotiations a “drama” and declared that on August 28, there will be a complete closure from Khyber to Karachi. According to Kashif Chaudhry, traders are calling for an examination of the IPP agreements and a decrease in the cost of electricity.

Terming the strike a first step in that direction, he stated that the economic system needs to be fixed.

The Anjuman-e-Tajiran’s central president went on to say that business owners and traders are tired of paying taxes.

“Every shopkeeper will close the shutter on August 28 who wants to open the shutter in future,” he said, according to ARY News.

All major cities, including Gujranwala, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Karachi, and Lahore, are anticipated to be impacted by the shutdown.

Rashid Mahmood Langrial, the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), had earlier promised traders that their “legitimate” demands would be accepted, but he also stated that the Tajir Dost Scheme would not be discontinued.

All “legitimate” demands of traders will be fulfilled, according to Rashid Mahmood Langrial, who made this announcement during a virtual conference with traders from Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, and Peshawar. But the chairman of the FBR stated unequivocally that the Tajir Dost Scheme will not be reversed, reported ARY News.

It is important to note that the FBR chairman summoned Pakistani traders to a meeting after they said they would observe a nationwide strike on August 28.

Retail and wholesale taxes are not imposed in Pakistan, according to FBR chairman, Rashid Mahmood Langrial, who also stated that it is impractical to tax the powerful more heavily than the weak.