Under-fire govt clinches deal with traders.

ISLAMABAD -- The nationwide strike by traders protesting against certain tax measures ended on Wednesday as their representatives decided to call off the protest after reaching an agreement with the government's economic team, winning three more months for meeting the condition related to Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC).

The 11-point agreement was finalised after yet another round of talks between the representatives of traders community and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Hafeez Shaikh and Federal Board of Revenue chairman Shabbar Zaidi. Jehangir Tareen also participated in the negotiations.

The economic managers showed flexibility by relaxing certain tax measures to reach an agreement with the traders, who observed the second day of their two-day nationwide strike on Wednesday.

Both sides, addressing a joint press conference after the successful talks, expressed the confidence to help the state broaden the tax net.

Mentioning that out of more than four million traders only 393,000 paid taxes, the adviser said the tax registration system was being simplified for traders. 'The government is willing to win the confidence of the business community to increase tax net,' he said, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan believed in policies that benefited the entire nation.

According to an 11-point agreement, enforcement of CNIC condition delayed for three months

The adviser expressed the hope that the agreed points would have a positive impact on the economy. He announced that a form would be prepared in Urdu for the registration and filing of income tax returns.

The FBR chairman claimed that the law regarding the condition of maintaining a CNIC copy for sales and purchase of goods worth up to Rs50,000 had not been changed. 'We, as per the agreement, will not take action against those violating the CNIC condition by the end of January 2020. [But] action may be taken after three months,' Mr Zaidi said in response to a question.

All-Pakistan Anjuman Tajiran president Ajmal Baloch and other representatives of the traders said the agreement offered a win-win situation to both sides.

Mr Baloch denied that there was any link between the shutterdown strike and the anti-government Azadi march of Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

He contended that the key issues had been resolved, explaining that the impediment to the success of talks was lack of cooperation from some elements in the FBR.

'We have always stated that traders cannot and will not be...