KARACHI/LAHORE (Staff Report) – On a call given by all factions of the All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran (APAT), Traders’ organizations are observing strike across the country against imposition of 0.6 per cent withholding tax on banking transactions of over Rs.50,000 for non-filers of income tax returns here on Wednesday.
All APAT factions have announced to make the strike successful as markets in almost all major cities remained shut today.
The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said it supported the strike call.
In Karachi, Jodiya Bazar, which is the main market of wholesalers, medicine market, old city area, Bolton Market, Regal, Jama Cloth, and other busy commercial areas remained closed on the call of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad.
Reportedly, markets and other business points in Faisalabad, Multan, Lahore and Quetta are shut today.
In Peshawar, the traders remained divided over the closure as many traders’ bodies disowned the strike. Resultantly many commercial areas in the city remained open. However; Peshawar’s Sadar market was open.
The traders organizations have threatened to observe another strike on Oct 7, if their demand was not met. Their representatives also call for Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s resignation.
Earlier, the union had written a letter to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif to intervene the matter and bridge gap between the government and traders.
