DERA GHAZI KHAN: All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran Chairman Khwaja Muhammad Shafiq has said that traders are the easiest targets for government departments and exploiting them has become a routine.

He made these remarks while addressing an oath-taking ceremony for the Bakers and Hotel Association.

Shafiq said despite being the most patriotic class, traders are unfairly burdened even though they work tirelessly for up to 14 hours a day. He said traders support nearly 20 to 30 million people, and if they were to shut down their businesses, the economy would collapse, and the government would be unable to manage the fallout.

He criticised the government for increasing the salaries of parliamentarians by up to 600 per cent and allowing the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to purchase 1,000 new vehicles, while the financial burden of these decisions falls on the public.

He said billions of dollars are paid to independent power producers and institutions like PIA and Pakistan Steel Mills continue to face losses without any concern from the authorities.

Shafiq expressed frustration that agricultural income remains exempt from tax, while small traders are burdened with endless regulations and ‘frequent harassment’ by institutions. He said traders are struggling to pay electricity bills and school fees while billions of rupees worth of electricity theft goes unchecked.

He reminded authorities that government salaries are paid from taxpayers’ money, which is largely contributed by traders. He said although a trader-friendly policy was recently introduced for the first time in Pakistan’s history, the FBR is obstructing its implementation.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Central Anjuman-i-Tajiran distributed certificates among the newly-elected officials and assured full cooperation. Guests were also presented with traditional Seraiki Ajraks as a mark of respect.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2025