KARACHI: Confusion gripped the business community on Friday as key trade and industry bodies appeared divided over whether the countrywide strike scheduled for Saturday would go ahead or had been postponed.

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Senior Vice-President Saquib Fayyaz Magoon claimed that chambers and trade associations had agreed to defer the strike following a meeting with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries Haroon Akhtar Khan, attended by various chambers via Zoom.

The strike call was initially issued by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), backed by trade bodies, industrial area associations, petroleum dealers, transporters, and chain store operators.

“We have not supported the KCCI strike as it was announced by one chamber alone,” Mr Magoon said. He maintained that the FPCCI, representing chambers from across the country — including Faisalabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Multan, Khanewal, Sheikhupura, Sargodha, Quetta, and Peshawar — had unanimously decided to postpone the strike after the government agreed to address major concerns related to the Finance Act 2025.

“Only the KCCI and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) are not on the same page,” he added, dismissing the possibility of a decisive nationwide strike.

FPCCI ‘postpones’ strike; Karachi Chamber sticks to shutdown in absence of written commitment

However, KCCI President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani insisted that a peaceful strike would be observed on Saturday, having secured backing from numerous trade and industrial organisations. “If the government fails to provide written assurances following our meeting with SAPM Haroon Akhtar, we will be compelled to extend the strike. We are not satisfied with verbal commitments,” Mr Bilwani said, warning that further shutdowns could extend to multiple days or even the full week.

Criticising the bureaucracy, he noted, “Businessmen work seven days a week, while government officials work only five.”

He warned that unresolved issues may force industries to relocate abroad, particularly to Dubai.

KCCI has expressed serious objections to Sections 37A and 37B of the Sales Tax Act, which it says grant sweeping and arbitrary powers to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Mr Bilwani said the decision to go ahead with the strike was reaffirmed after an unfruitful meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on July 16, during which demands to suspend five key anti-business measures remained unmet.

These include the immediate withdrawal of Sections 37A and 37B, repeal of Section 21(S) which penalises cash transactions above Rs200,000, scrapping of Section 40C mandating the e-Bilty system, revocation of SRO 709 introducing a disputed digital invoicing system, and restoration of the Final Tax Regime (FTR) for exporters.

LCCI President Mian Abu Zar Shaad stated that the chamber had decided to join the strike in solidarity with the broader business community. “The problems persist despite meetings with the government. We now demand implementation rather than assurances,” he said.

Meanwhile, FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh told the media that a charter of demands had been presented to Mr Haroon, who agreed to withdraw the contentious measures. “There will be no strike on Saturday,” Mr Sheikh claimed, adding that the SAPM’s recommendations would be forwarded to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2025