PESHAWAR: The business community on Monday set up a protest camp on Saddar Road and held a demonstration against the restrictions placed outside a trade centre here by the Cantonment Board Peshawar.

They also shouted slogans against the increase in various taxes by the cantonment authorities.

The protesters said that movement of the people had been restricted outside the Dil Jan Plaza for past many years which had caused huge financial losses to the business community.

They said cemented blocks had been placed outside the plaza where the customers were not allowed to park vehicles and thus the ultimate sufferers were the traders.

“We have time and again contacted the officials of the Frontier Constabulary to remove the blocks but they are not ready to accept our demands,” the traders complained.

Besides, the traders’ leaders said the cantonment board had increased various taxes, including water tariff, professional tax, property tax and imposed a new levy in name of signboard tax on the shopkeepers.

They warned that the protest would continue till the acceptance of demands as the community was unable to afford the increase in taxes and restriction on parking outside the trade centre.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017