Falak Sher
Mardan
Markazi Tanzeem Tajran Zahir Shah Group organized a protest rally against the smart lockdown, what they termed as unfair FBR taxes, tobacco tax and excessive taxes included in electricity and gas bills. The rally started from Mardan Chamber and marched towards Kachehri Chowk,
The rally was led by Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry, President Markazi Tanzeem Tajran Pakistan, and Zahir Shah Provincial General Secretary Khyber Pukhtunkhwa’ representatives. Among those present on the occasion were Waqar Ali Bacha, Ghulam Sarwar Saraf, Sahibzada, Waheed Gul, Tariq Khan, Wahab Yousafi, Asad Jamal, Bakht Munir, Asad Khan, Asif Iqbal, Abid, Faqir Saraf,and others. The protesters demanded that the smart lockdown imposed across the country be immediately lifted until Eid-ul-Adha.
Addressing the rally, Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry said that traders across the country had purchased goods worth billions of rupees for Eid-ul-Adha, but due to the lockdown they were unable to sell their merchandise.
He alleged that under the guise of FBR reforms, traders were being harassed through point-of-sale systems, fines, and arrests. He further said that the continuous increase in petroleum prices, electricity tariffs, additional taxes, inflated utility bills and the harsh attitude of para forces had made life extremely difficult for traders. Zahir Shah stated that the current policies of both the federal and provincial governments were creating severe hardships for the business community. He said that evening lockdown restrictions were preventing customers from visiting markets, while traders had already made heavy investments for Eid-ul-Adha.
He warned that if the situation continued, thousands of small traders would face financial ruin. Criticizing FBR policies, he said that in the name of reforms and restructuring, traders were being unnecessarily harassed.
