Jamrud traders protest new taxes

JAMRUD: The flour dealers and members of Anjuman-i-Tajiran staged a protest here on Friday against the imposition of new taxes.Carrying banners and placards, the protesters gathered at the Bab-e-Khyber and chanted slogans against the government.

Speaking on the occasion, Waheed Khan, president of the Flour Dealers Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, criticised the government for the imposition of a withholding tax on food items, including flour.

He argued that this tax has led to a significant increase in the prices of flour and other essential food items, putting a severe strain on poor households.He accused the federal government of being hostile to the public through its harsh tax policies and criticised the Punjab government for imposing a ban on flour supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while charging illegal fees of Rs15000 per truck.

He warned that if the authorities do not lift the withholding tax and the inter-provincial flour ban, the protest movement would expand nationwide, with the federal and Punjab governments held responsible for any ensuing troubles.