Peshawar traders down shutters for second day.

PESHAWAR -- The business community in Peshawar continued the shutter down strike for second day on Wednesday with traders staging a protest camp at the Chowk Yadgar, but most markets remained open in Kohat.

The leaders of various political parties also visited the camp to express solidarity with the traders in support of their demands against 'harsh' budgetary measures.

On the occasion, the traders' leaders, including Malik Meher Ilahi, Haji Sharafat Ali Mubarak, Mohammad Ihtesham Haleem, Haji Shakeel Ahmed, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and Haji Mohammad Afzal, said the entire business community was united that the government's new taxation policy should be withdrawn.

Strike call gets poor response in Kohat

They appreciated the business community for proving that all of trade organisations were on the same page. Referring to the agreement between traders' leaders and FBR, they expressed the hope that the government would materialise its commitment and resolve the issues once for all.

We are already paying taxes as citizens of the country and will continue to contribute to the national economy but the government should also stop taking decisions unilaterally, the traders said and added that depreciation of the national currency had led to unprecedented price hike which affected both the business community and consumers alike.

The speakers said the government should take concrete steps for improving the national economy in consultation with the business community in order to attract foreign investors.

They also asked for controlling increasing gas and power tariffs and concrete steps for reviving industrial units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In Kohat, unpleasant scenes were witnessed when the rival traders' union tried to close the shops forcibly during a rally through the main bazaar.

However, the police intervened and prevented the trader leaders from closing the shops.

The Tajir action committee had boycotted the strike call given by the rival Tajir Ittehad.

The participants of the...