High power bills, taxes: Traders call for countrywide strike

QUETTA: President, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Amjad Baloch on Sunday announced to observe a shutter down strike across the country on August 28, 2028 against high taxes and exorbitant electricity tariff.

Addressing a press conference at Quetta Press Club, he said that against high taxes and exorbitant electricity tariff, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran was going to observe shutter down strike across the country.

He said that strike to be observed by All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran would turn into a mass movement, adding that strike was not being observed on August 28 on the call of Jamaat-e-Islami rather it would be observed on the call of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran.

He said that business community of the country was having the power to shut down the country, adding that during the tenure of former dictator General Pervaiz Musharaf, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran had observed shutter down strike for 17 days. Expressing solidarity the participants of Chaman’s protest sit-in, he said that livelihood of the people of Chaman, a city bordering neighbouring country Afghanistan, was associated with border business owing to non-availability of other means of business, including industry, in Chaman.

Speaking on the occasion, President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Balochistan, Abdul Rahim Kakar said notices of property tax issued to the business community by the FBR was not acceptable.

He called on the authorities to reinstate the recently sacked 1400 daily wage employees of Quetta Metropolitan Corporation. He said shutter down strike would be observed on August 28 in Balochistan on the call of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran. On the occasion, General Secretary, Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran Balochistan, Haji Yaseen Mengal, Senior Vice President, Hazrat Ali Achakzai and others were also present.