UPPER DIR : A complete shutdown strike has been observed in all nine districts of Malakand Division, including Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Chitral, and Swat, against the proposed tax measures and the abolition of the separate constitutional status of the division. The strike, called by the traders’ community, has been supported by lawyers, private schools, and other segments of society. All markets, shopping malls, and business centers have been closed, and traffic has been severely affected. The traders’ leaders have warned that if the government does not withdraw the tax measures, they will extend the strike to other parts of the country.
The traders’ community has been protesting against the government’s decision to impose taxes on the people of Malakand Division, who are already facing economic hardships due to poverty, terrorism, and natural disasters. The traders’ leaders have pointed out that the government had agreed not to impose taxes on the people of the division for 100 years after the merger of Swat, Dir, and Chitral with Pakistan, but now the government is trying to impose taxes through the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The traders’ leaders have demanded that the government should provide basic facilities like health, education, and roads to the people of the division before imposing taxes. They have also warned that if the government does not withdraw the tax measures, they will continue their struggle against the government’s policies.”
