QUETTA, July 14: Pakistan Traders Alliance and Anjuman-i-Tajiran, Balochistan, have demanded the government to withdraw withholding tax from account holders to cash their amount otherwise the traders would opt for strikes. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Khawaja Mohammad Shafiq, chairman, Pakistan Traders Alliance, and Abdur Rahim Kakar, president, Anjuman-i-Tajiran, Balochistan, respectively condemned the increase of prices of petroleum products and gas.

They stated that the government decision to collect holding tax from bank account holders on Rs25,000 was injustice and oppression and stated that this anti-people tax would create difficulties for the business community to withdraw cash on a day-to-day basis.

They claimed that the price-hike and frequent increase in the prices of petroleum products was due to the huge spending on non-development expenditures.

They strongly demanded that the government curtail non-development expenditures to control hike in prices. They said that traders’ alliance was in contact at the provincial level with the Anjuman-i-Tajiran to devise a joint strategy to launch protest and strikes.