MULTAN, Sept 15: Traders observed hunger strikes far and wide across the Punjab on Monday in protest against the universal self-assessment scheme introduced by the Income Tax Department.

Local traders observed a three-hour hunger strike under the banner of the Pakistan Traders Alliance.

The hunger strike camp was set up at the busy Hussain Agahi Intersection. Trader leaders of different markets of the city participated in the protest. Prominent among them were PTA’s central chairman Khawaja Muhammad Shafiq, Atta Muhammad and Khalid Qureshi.

Speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Shafiq said the government could not refrain the alliance through its henchmen in the traders’ ranks from struggling for the just rights of the business community.

He said traders throughout the country would observe a complete shutter-down strike on Sept 23 to express unity against the unjust new taxation laws.

In Dera Ghazi Khan, traders under the banner of central organization of traders observed a hunger strike in front of the local Press Club.

Led by Sheikh Miraj Din, the traders criticized the government for its anti-traders’ policies and termed the universal self-assessment scheme a very complicated tax evaluation process.

Another hunger strike of the traders, led by Mian Hafeez Dajli, was observed in Sarrafa Bazaar.

Meanwhile, DG Khan’s Additional Income Tax Commissioner Aslam Gohar Baluch told Dawn that only 10 per cent tax payers had submitted their assessments.

He said around 12,000 tax payers paid Rs450 million annually in the DG Khan range which comprised four districts — DG Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah and Rajanpur.

Mr Baluch said the last date for the submission of the self-assessment was Sept 30.

In Sahiwal, a 16-member committee representing city traders observed a hunger strike.

Earlier, the traders brought the hunger strike members to the venue in a procession. The participants of the hunger strike wore black armbands.

Leaders of the traders threatened to go on a shutter-down strike from Sept 23 if their demands were not met.