July 24, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 20, 1429

SKARDU, July 23: Traders observed strike against what they said the misbehaviour of assistant commissioner Skardu with their representatives, while the flour mill owners closed down their mills after talks with the authorities of the food department and local administration failed.

All shops and markets remained closed for the whole day in Skardu city. The shopkeepers took out a protest rally in the morning and gathered at Yadgar-i-Shuhada.

Speaking on the occasion, president of the Bazaar Committee Wazir Mohammad Iqbal said the assistant commissioner Skardu, civil supply officer and his staff were responsible for the current flour crisis in the district.

He called upon the authorities concerned to remove the officials from their posts to overcome the atta crisis. He also called upon the local authorities to stop conducting raids on shops on different pretexts. Mr Iqbal warned that if their demands were not met the traders would continue their strike. The call for the strike was given after an exchange of hard words between the traders’ representatives and the AC Skardu when the former met the official to discuss the issue of flour shortage and raids being conducted on the markets.

GILGIT: Meanwhile, Flour Mills Association also announced to observe an indefinite strike, reports our correspondent from Gilgit.

“We are closing mills and sending labourers on leave forcibly as we are not able to continue under the present situation and face huge monitory loss,” the association’s president, Shaukat Akbar, told Dawn. Mr Akbar said a number of meetings had been held with the authorities concerned but all ended without any result. He said the strike would continue till their demands were met.

When contacted, Secretary Food, Northern Areas, Fida Hussain said the flour mill owners were assured all possible help but they were bent upon continuing with the strike to press the administration to accept demands which could not be entertained.

He said: “We had set up a committee headed by the deputy commissioner, and also included a member of the association, to look into the matter and reach an amicable solution.”