KOHAT, June 18: The action committee of local businessmen has demanded cancellation of a contract awarded illegally to a brother of a politician.

The committee has also rejected the professional tax imposed by the district government.

At a meeting held here on Wednesday the representatives of all the markets and bazaar associations turned down a proposal presented by the president of the Mushtarika Markets Association, Haji Gulzar. Instead, the representatives said, the business community should pay Rs150 per shutter annually to the municipal committee if it wanted to exempt the professionals from the tax.

They said that the provincial government had yet to approve the professional tax which was unilaterally imposed by the district government.

The representatives argued that all was just an eyewash to oblige a certain politician.

Earlier, members of the committee regretted that the professional tax was imposed on people from the lower classes.

The meeting was attended by the office bearers of KCCI, Islamic Business Forum, main bazaar and Mian Khel bazaar associations.