SIALKOT, May 13: The surgical forging industry continued their agitation against the sales tax department on the fifth successive day on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Surgical Hammers Owners Association president Irshad Ahmad and general secretary Salim Tahir announced that the strike would continue till unjustified sales tax notices were withdrawn.

They said more than 40,000 daily wagers engaged with the industry have lost their jobs due to the strike.

They said the surgical forging units got raw material from the factory owners and returned it after casting. These units got labour charges only from the factory owners, they added.

They said there was no sales tax on such service. But, the sales tax staff were continuously harassing them by sending them notices.

Mr Ahmad and Mr Tahir said the strike would affect exports thus causing loss to the government in the shape of foreign exchange.

They urged the government to take notice of illegal step of the sales tax department and redress their grievance.