MULTAN, Aug 31: Almost a complete shutter down strike was observed by local traders against the alleged misbehaviour of the provincial minister for excise and taxation.

The strike call was given by the Markazi Anjuman Tajraan and Pakistan Traders Alliance on Aug 27 last when a scheduled meeting between the local business community and minister Dr Shafiq Chaudhry was ended in fiasco.

The minister along with top brass of the provincial excise department, including its director general Obaid Rabbani Qureshi, had come to Multan to sort out differences with the business community over the new property tax system. However, the minister reportedly snubbed PTA chairman Khwaja Muhammad Shafiq when the latter was arguing against the new system. The minister told the PTA chairman, “plead only your case and do not try to become leader of the masses”.

The minister’s remarks against a senior trader leader infuriated the traders turned up to negotiate with him. In consequence, they disrupted the whole proceedings and boycotted the meeting announcing a shut-down strike on Aug 31.

The strike was observed to press the government to ask the minister to tender an unconditional apology, transfer the present director excise of Multan and withdraw the anti-poor new property tax system. The minister, however, had apologized for the Aug 27 incident on a private TV channel saying “that was not intentional”.

But, the traders went ahead with their strike call. All the main city markets like Hussain Agahi Bazaar, Chowk Bazaar, Cantonment markets, Iron market, Pak Gate, Delhi Gate, Haram Gate and Circular Road remained closed throughout the day. However, one or two shops were seen opened in the markets of residential areas, such as, Gulgasht Colony, Shah Ruken-i-Alam Colony and New Multan.

The protesting traders also brought out a rally from Masjid Wali Muhammad to Chowk Bazaar which was addressed by their leaders, including Khwaja Shafiq, Nazeer Awan and others. They reiterated their demands and vowed to continue their struggle for a just system of property tax.

Meanwhile, in a statement minister Dr Shafiq termed the strike uncalled for especially when he had regretted the incident through a press conference and in a statement on a private TV channel. He said neither he nor his government wanted to have confrontation with the business community.

He said the property tax was now the subject of local bodies and, therefore, he had formed a committee with Multan city Nazim Faisel Mukhtar as its chairman to resolve the deadlock on the issue created only in Multan.