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Faisalabad trade bodies

back Aug 26, 27 strike call

RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: Anjuman Tajran, Faisalabad, has rejected the new proforma of income tax return and endorsed the call for complete strike on August 26, 27 in Faisalabad as announced by the Markazi Anjuman Tajran, Punjab, at Lahore.

In a protest meeting the speakers of various trade bodies stated that there are still three entries in the proforma which are very degrading and hurting the ego of the business community.

A central leader of the Anjuman, Mian Abdul Mannan, said that the government seemed determined to destroy the economy of the country by implementing the dictates of the IMF and the World Bank. These dictates, he said, were anti-business and trade and were also against the interests and benefits of the country.

Mannan also criticised the government's duplicity regarding wealth tax. Elaborating, he said that the value of property was being differently worked out by income tax (wealth tax) authorities (at the time of collection of tax) and the district administration (before registration of sale deeds).

He demanded that the income tax authorities should accept the valuation of property as determined by the district administration for sale deed registration.

The President of Kiryana Merchants Association, Haji Mohammad Ashraf Bhallah, and President, Pan Shops, Faisalabad, Raza-ur-Rehman Rizvi, warned the government to desist from pursuing anti-traders policies and fulfil its pre-budget promises. If demands were not met by August 25, more than 100 trade bodies of Faisalabad city would participate in the countrywide strike on August 26, 27, they said.

President, Faisalabad Goods Carriers Association Ghulam Mohammad Qureshi, and Chairman, Silk Yarn Traders Group Haji Mohammad Nawaz Wohrah expressed grave concern over the recent increase in electricity tariff and said that this would cripple the national economy.

Haji Taj Mohammad, Imtiaz Arshad, Tariq Mehmood, Sheikh Mohammad Bashir, Umer Hayat Goriaya, Sheikh Mohammad Fazal, Mohammad Taqi Naz and Nisar Butt also addressed the meeting and endorsed the strike call.