VEHARI, Sept 21: More than 200 representatives of oil mills' associations went on strike across the Punjab on Tuesday against the imposition of 15 per cent general sales tax on cotton seed oil. Several mill owners and association representatives held a protest meeting in the district.

Pakistan Oil Mills Association President Sheikh Fazal and Punjab's association chief Muhammad Ashiq Bhatti told this correspondent after the meeting that various oil mills in the south Punjab had already gone on strike. They pledged to continue strike till the withdrawal of GST.

After the decision, they said, the oil mills had stopped procuring cotton seed from ginners. The price of phutti has gone down at grain market from Rs1,000 per 40kgs to Rs925 per 40kgs. Similarly, cotton is now being sold at Rs2,150 per 40kgs instead of Rs2,350.

With the decision of the oil mills to go on strike, over 80,000 labourers will be affected in the Punjab. Farmer all over the province will face equal agony in the face of reduction in phutti prices.