LAHORE: Traders have announced becoming a part of the joint opposition’s movement against the government, urging the parties to also incorporate the business community’s issues in its charter of demands.

“We believe that this government will always be anti-traders. So we have decided to become a part of the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) in order to get our issues resolved since the sitting government has never bothered (about) us,” All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran General Secretary Naeem Mir told journalists at a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said the PTI government was ignoring the written agreement it had made with the traders for resolving their issues.

“We request the opposition parties to announce reforms in the FBR structure and tax systems. We have already prepared recommendations in this regard,” Mr Mir said and added that since the opposition parties had planned for a long march in January next year, the government had still time to fulfill its promises with the traders.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2020