Most businesses remain closed on traders’ call

• Khalid Pervaiz claims strike call given by his group shut down businesses from Khyber till Karachi

The shutter-down strike called by the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajraan proved to be a blessing in disguise for Asim Ali who runs a stall of old books in Urdu Bazaar as he earned more than routine days on Wednesday.

“All shops that deal in new books are closed today (Wednesday) due to the strike and students are left with no option but to come to us,” Ali said, adding that local traders had forcibly shut down his stall in the morning but he managed to open his business in the noon.

Meanwhile, a rift emerged between the traders’ bodies of the city over the dates of strike as another faction of traders had observed a strike on August 1. Yesterday’s strike was called by Khalid Pervaiz-led group, which according to him was the most successful in the country’s history as he claimed that there was no business activity at all from Khyber to Karachi.

“There are 1,500 markets in Lahore and partial opening of two or three markets does not suggest that our strike has failed,” said All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajraan (APAT) President Khalid Parvez while talking to Pakistan Today.

While terming Withholding Tax (WHT) a murder of economic activity, he demanded the government withdraw WHT from all banking transactions. According to Pervaiz, there is a democratic set-up in the country but the incumbent government is crafting its policies like dictatorial regimes. He further claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government has come into power with the support of traders and it is time to pay them back by listening to their grievances.

He brushed aside the allegations that traders are dancing to the tunes of opposition political parties and requested to the opposition to keep a distance from their protest as traders do not want their genuine issue to be politicised.

“The economy of the country is run by a non-professional who does not know anything about economics. Ishaq Dar must be replaced by a professional economist,” Khalid Pervaiz demanded.

While speaking to Pakistan Today, Hall Road Traders Association Vice President Muazzam Ali Khan criticised the divisions among traders’ ranks and claimed that this rift is detrimental for the entire community. He was of the view that the senior leadership of traders must not let their ego harm the common cause. Muazzam claimed that every trader in this country regularly pays taxes in the form of electricity bills and General Sales Tax (GST).

“When the government calls us for negotiations, we are handed over to the bureaucracy who tries to engage us with different delaying tactics,” he added.

Meanwhile, majority of businesses in all the major markets of the city including Urdu Bazaar, Anarkali, Shah Alami, Hall Road, Mall Road and Jail Road remained closed and little commercial activity was witnessed there.