Traders announce Islamabad march on Oct 9

Negotiations over fixed tax scheme with FBR fail

ISLAMABAD: Traders have announced marching towards Islamabad on October 9 after negotiations over the fixed tax scheme with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) failed.

The announcement was made in a statement issued by the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran the other day after failure of negotiations with the government.

Leaders of trade unions across the country have been delegated responsibilities for the Islamabad march.

All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran Chairman Ajmal Baloch said, “The CNIC stipulation has not been removed, while consensus could not be reached over sales tax registration and fixed tax scheme.”

“Traders’ representatives of districts and tehsils from all over the country will march towards Islamabad,” said Ajmal. “On October 9, the country’s traders will gather in the federal capital at 11am.”

FBR pulls plan for sales tax relief to car assemblers

He announced that this would be the biggest rally in the history of the traders.

“From Azad Kashmir, traders, under the leadership of Shaukat Mir, will reach Islamabad. The delegation of traders from Gilgit-Baltistan will be led by Masoodur Rehman. From Punjab, traders of all districts and tehsils led by Malik Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, Rauf Mughal, Aslam Bhali, Javaid Butt and Mumtaz Babar will reach Islamabad,” said Ajmal.

“From goths and districts of Sindh, traders’ delegations led by Qayyum Qureshi, Ameen Memon, Haroon Memon, Rehmatullah Sand, Haji Majeed Memon and Javaid Qureshi will head for Islamabad, while from Karachi, Jameel Paracha, Abdul Rehman, Ismail Lal Puriya, Saleem Memon and Muhammad Arshad will march towards Islamabad.”

From Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, trade delegations led by Malik Mehr Ilahi, Ehtasham Haleem, Shakeel Saraf and Mansoor Bangash would meet up with the rest of the traders in Islamabad, he said, adding that Balochistan traders led by Abdul Rahim Kakar, Allahdad Tareen, Yaseen Mengal and Taj Agha would march towards Islamabad.

“Whatever joint decision the traders make, it will be implemented,” said Ajmal.