STAFF REPORT
TAXILA: The traders’ community of Wah Cantonment threatened to shut down business activities if the Cantonment board authorities did not halt their anti-business community policies by sealing their premises on the pretext of implementing “colonial” policies.
Addressing emergency meeting called on Thursday, which was presided by Senior Vice President Chamber of small traders and small industries Naeem Ashraf and attended by General Secretary Rizwan Qammar, President traders’ union Model Town Ulfat Hussain, President traders’ union Nawababad Shahid Sagheer Minhas besides other presidents of zonal markets have expressed their concern over the anti-traders’ policies of the civic bodies and demands immediate withdrawal of notices issued to the shopkeepers. As many as 79 shops only located in Lalarukh face closure as the civic body of the Cantonment has issued sealing notices to the shopkeepers. They said these are not mere 79 shops but 79 families and their dependent employees who are contributing to the economy besides collecting different taxes for the civic body as well as the government, especially the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR).
They called upon the attention of the provincial government and elected representatives of the area to intervene in the matter and stop the civic body to seal their business premises failing which they would give a shutter down call against the anti-traders policies of the Cantonment board and suspended all business activities till acceptance of their demands.
