Nationwide strike looms as Karachi business leaders, transporters unite against ‘anti-business' tax law
The president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, announced the planned shutdown at a press conference on Monday, flanked by senior chamber officials and leaders of multiple transport alliances.
The strike, they warned, will halt the movement of goods and bring business operations to a grinding halt if the federal government fails to suspend what they describe as 'anti-business' measures.
'Unless the government puts all these measures in abeyance, the nationwide strike scheduled for July 19 will take place with full force, bringing economic activity across the country to a grinding halt,' Bilwani said, according to the official statement.
The business community says more than 50 trade associations nationwide have pledged formal support for the strike, signaling what could be one of the biggest shutdowns in Pakistan in recent years if the deadlock persists.
The chamber has listed five key demands, including withdrawal of new sections that grant the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) powers to arrest traders, penalties on cash transactions above Rs200,000, mandatory digital invoicing, a new e-bilty requirement for goods transporters, and the restoration of the Final Tax Regime for exporters.
Bilwani said transporters' associations had pledged 'unwavering solidarity' with the business community and committed to a complete wheel-jam strike that will stop the movement of trucks nationwide on July 19.
'No vehicle will move… in absolute unity with the business community,' he said.
This is not the first time Pakistan's business community has threatened mass shutdowns in response to tax measures. But the show of unity between traders and goods transporters has raised fears of significant supply chain disruptions.
Bilwani said while the Ministry of Finance has made informal contact with the chamber, there has been no official commitment to roll back the controversial measures. He insisted that 'only upon suspension of these provisions' would the business community agree to any further talks with lawmakers.
Chairman of the Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala, also speaking at the event, warned that the strike was a last resort:
'While the business community does not favor frequent strikes, the prevailing conditions have left no other option,' he said, according to the KCCI statement.
Transport leaders, including representatives of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance and other associations, declared their 'full and unconditional support' for the strike and pledged to remain aligned with KCCI's demands 'regardless of the consequences.'
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