Almost all Brandrth Road traders on Thursday observed a complete shutter down strike against, what they claim, unwarranted raids by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) at their warehouses and shops. Trying to draw attention of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Finance Minister Asad Umer, the traders held a protest demonstration against the FBR officials and demanded that "due process of law" should be followed before conducting raids at their warehouses or shops. In the market, they also fixed a number of banners inscribing with "hooliganism activities of FBR are not acceptable".
Nadeem Qureshi, a local trader, told Business Recorder that some officials of the FBR had raided the Brandrth Road Traders Association President's shop on Wednesday and misbehaved with the entire staff. Consequently, he added, the traders of half of the market closed their shops in solidarity with the president. "The FBR officials had also warned us that they would continue their raids and around 10 shops or warehouses will be searched each time," he mentioned.
When contacted, Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) General Secretary Adul Saboor told that the FBR officials had raided the shop of Brandrth Road Traders Association President and misbehaved with the entire staff. "We are respectable traders who are paying taxes to the government, but humiliation is not acceptable," he said, adding that if the FBR wanted to search any shop or warehouse, it should follow due process of the law.
Meanwhile, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran Central President Ashraf Bhatti strongly criticized the FBR and announced to support the Brandrth Road traders. "By joining hands with the Brandrth Road traders, we will first lockdown all markets in Lahore and then in the whole country if the unwarranted raids are not stopped," warned Bhatti.
He requested Federal Finance Minister Asad Umer and State Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar to intervene in the matter and fulfill their promises which they had made with them recently. He said the FBR is conducting raids without serving notices to traders, which are mandatory as per the law.