July 22, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1424

FAISALABAD, July 21: Over 400 sizing units throughout the country on Monday observed a complete strike for an indefinite period against some of the taxation policies of the government.

The employees of the sizing units in Faisalabad and other adjoining districts also staged protest demonstrations outside their respective factories and urged the government to immediately accept the demands of sizing unit owners.

The strike will not only create problem for powerloom, dying, calendaring, bleaching, printing, chemical and other ancillary units, but will also hamper export activities of the country.

Sizing unit owners are demanding of the government for the withdrawal of some amended taxation policies, especially section 40-B of the Sales Tax Act, terming them highly uncalled for.

About 150 sizing units have become inoperative in Faisalabad alone, while the remaining in Lahore, Okara and Gujranwala also became standstill due to strike call.

APSIA chairman Mirza Muhammad Shafique and its secretary Shahbaz Kissana told reporters here on Monday that they had tried their best to approach the commerce minister as well as other higher officials concerned for resolving the matter, but all their efforts proved futile due to indifferent attitude of the bureaucracy.

They announced that strike would continue till the acceptance of their demands.