CHARSADDA: Traders staged a rally here on Tuesday against the smart lockdown, “unjust” taxes, hike in petroleum prices and prolonged power and gas outages.

The protest was organised by Traders Federation Charsadda and United Shopkeepers Federation Charsadda on the call of Anjuman Tajiran Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A large number of traders participated in the rally, which led to a demonstration at the Farooq-i-Azam Chowk.

Addressing protesters, Traders Federation Charsadda president Lal Mohammad Lal and general secretary Mian Rahim Badshah, United Shopkeepers Federation president Hakimullah Fauji, general secretary Shiraz Khan and chairman Syed Saleh Shah Bacha, Flour Dealers Association president Ayaz Mohammad, Chappal Makers president Amir Zeb and others

The speakers said traders and the general public were being burdened with repeated price hikes, which had badly affected business activities and paralysed economic life.

They said the business community was facing severe difficulties due to the smart lockdown, heavy taxation by the FBR and frequent power outages.

The speakers alleged that traders were being pushed towards financial ruin and many shopkeepers had fallen into debt because of the prevailing economic conditions.

They also expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, especially the recent targeted killing of religious scholar Maulana Sheikh Mohammad Idrees, and said the killing reflected the worsening security situation in the area.

The protesters criticised the closure of shops under the smart lockdown and termed the imposition of fines and forced shutdowns through “pressure and coercion” as unfair and condemnable.

They demanded the government to review its decision regarding the smart lockdown and FBR taxes and provide interest-free loans to traders in order to ease the difficulties being faced by the people, especially the business community.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2026