ISLAMABAD   -  On the call of traders associations, the businessmen and shopkeepers observed a complete shutter-down strike on Wednesday in the twin cities against Tajir Dost Scheme, advance taxes and inflated electricity bills. The stike call was given by different traders associations across the country, who wanted to press the government to accept their charter of demands to withdraw the new taxes and roll back Tajir Dost Scheme and inflated electricity bills. 

A large number of traders also stated a protest demo at Murree Road by blocking the city’s main artery causing immense troubles for commuters. However, police arrived at the scene and dispersed the protestors after negotiations. In Rawalpindi, all the main commercial hubs in Raja Bazaar, City Saddar Road, Narankari Bazaar, Gunjmandi, Murree Road, Liaquat Road, Narankari Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Bank Road, Haider Road, Adamjee Road, Chotta Bazaar, Kamran Market, Tench Bhatta, Chaklala Scheme-III Commercial market, Ch. Bostan Khan Road, Adiala Road, College Road, Urdu Bazaar, Sabzi Mandi, Mochi Bazaar, Jamia Masjid Road, Banni Chowk, Bara Market, China Market and Commercial Market downed shutters through the day.

The Fruit and Vegetable market in Raja Bazaar was also closed while few stallholders established their stalls for selling fruit and vegetables in the main market. Anjuman Tajiran Mumtaz Market, under the leadership of Chairman Tehreek Potohar Province Raja Ijaz, also downed shutters of shops and demanded the government to withdraw advance taxes. Also, all the restaurants in the city were also asked by President Farooq Qureshi to participate in the strike. The shops in residential areas also remained closed as the shopkeepers expressed their solidarity with the traders against the government. Chemists shops remained opened in front of the hospitals and Al-Amin Plaza on The Mall in front of Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and shops in front of Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Cantonment General Hospital were opened. Shopkeepers staged protest demonstration in Tench Bhatta, Saddar, Raja Bazaar, Commercial Market, Sadiqabad, Chandani Chowk and Murree Road. 

At few places, some protesters closed the roads. Overall the strike remained peaceful. No incident of the force closure of the shops reported. Police and law enforcement agencies personnel patrolled the garrison city including city and cantonment throughout the day. No incident of clash between the traders and shopkeepers were reported and the strike generally remained peaceful. Thin traffic was witnessed on the roads due to the closure of the markets in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Anjuman Tajran Punjab and Rawalpindi President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, while talking to media men, said that on the call of Anjuman Tajran Pakistan, the businessmen of the four provinces have successfully staged a nationwide shutter-down strike and have proved that they rejected Tajir Dost Scheme, new taxes and increased electricity bills. 

“After two days, the Anjuman Tajran Pakistan will announce its new action plan if the government failed to accept our demands. Additional taxes, electricity, gas, petrol prices and inflated electricity bills had been rejected,” he said and added we had option to go for shutter-down strike for a long time. He said that there was a complete shutter-down, even hotels, medical stores, bakeries, tuck shops, and ovens were closed. He said that the government should revise and eliminate contracts with the IPPs and before taxing the traders, the representatives of All Pakistan Anjuman Tajran should be consulted. He said that Rs20,000 to Rs60,000 tax notices were issued to all the big and small shopkeepers under Tajir Dost Scheme and we reject this. Rawalpindi Traders Association President Sharjeel Mir while talking to The Nation said that the traders gave the message to end inflation and stop pressing common man and traders with new taxes. He said that the new taxation system in the country would create problem for the people as they had to bear the burden of inflation. “The product cost will escalate through new taxes and the purchasing power of the people will reduce,” he said. 

“We will see the response of the government in few days. If the government failed to accept our demands then the traders will stage sit-in in every city of the country and Islamabad,” said Zafar Qadri, General Secretary Rawalpindi Cantonment Traders Association. He said that in the first phase, a day long strike was observed but we will go for three-day shutter down strike and wheel jam in the country in the next phase. He said that the complete strike in Rawalpindi proved that they were ready for struggle to meet their demands. In Cantt and Garrison, the traders also observed complete shutter-down strike to press government to withdraw advance tax.