MULTAN, May 9: Traders of the cantonment area observed a complete strike on Thursday against the imposition of parking fee.

The cantonment authorities have recently introduced the parking fee. Now any vehicle which enters the cantonment area or is parked anywhere in the area has to pay parking fee to the contractor of the Cantonment Board.

Eventually, people have started avoiding to turn up to cantonment markets for shopping which ultimately has affected the business activity in the area.

The strike was called by the Markazi Anjuman Tajran. A protest meeting was also held which was attended by a number of trader organization leaders. The meeting rejected the parking fee terming it unjustified.

Speakers on the occasion accused the contractor of contempt of court saying he could not charge the fee when the matter had been subjudiced. The trader organizations have challenged the levy in the court of law.

Pakistan cantonment markets chairman Malik Nazeer said no such parking fee had been imposed in any of the other 45 cantonment boards of the country. He demanded that a piece of land should be allotted for parking where parking fee could be charged. He also demanded withdrawal of parking fee in streets, bazaars and passages of the area. —Correspondent