KARACHI: The traders association will launch protests across the country after Eidul Fitr against the rising inflation and worsening economic conditions.
Speaking during a press conference, Markazi Tanzeem Tajran President Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry said that traders all over Pakistan would organise conventions and demonstrations if issues were not resolved.
He regretted that the government did not pass on a reduction in crude oil prices in the international market to the people and on the other hand, it was not ready to bring down its non-development expenses. Criticising the government, Chaudhry said that the issues could be addressed if the government was serious and sin-cere in doing so. “Neither the politicians, ministers nor bureaucracy is ready to cut their expenses and are getting free fuel and other benefits as usual,” he added.
He said the government should immediately announce a reduction in non-development expenses by 50%.
Chaudhry also asked the government to stop the humiliation of poor masses in the name of the provision of free flour.
“Poor women, elderly people and children are made to suffer and die while standing in queues for hours,” he said, adding that five people had lost their lives in attempts to get poor-quality flour.
He alleged that the mafias responsible for the flour crisis were sitting in parliament.
The traders’ leader also asked politicians to come out of the tug of war and agree on a charter of democracy. He was of the view the traders’ community could also play a role to make the politicians sit across the table for talks.
He said the government had cancelled wheat permits for flour mills, which resulted in a hike in the price of the com-modity.
Chaudhry asked the government to review its Ramadan package so that poor masses were not humiliated in the name of so-called relief and free flour.
He also slammed the raids by Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan (FBR) teams at points of sale, saying that the board had not provided income tax forms to traders in the Urdu language but was continuing to harass them. –Agencies
