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Increase in electricity tariffs and new taxes on shopkeepers in Pakistan have led traders and merchants in many big cities and urban areas to stop work in protest on the seventh of the leap month today (Wednesday).
Most markets across Pakistan have been closed; however, pharmacies and shops selling raw materials remain open, according to the Associated Press.
Kashif Chaudhry, one of the organizers of the strike, said some people did not close shops because people would not face problems.
Shops were blocked in the capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi, while strikes by merchants continued in cities including Lahore and Karachi.
Pakistan Jamaat leader Naeem Rahman called for a strike, which was supported by many unions and associations.
Ehsanullah Padshah, president of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Traders’ Union, told VOA that markets in the state have been completely shut down.
According to him, not only shops in big cities were closed, but also shops in rural areas.
He added that they would continue the strike for two more days if the government did not withdraw the surcharge.
The government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has gradually increased the cost of electricity.
Islamabad took action in this regard last month after it signed a deal with the International Monetary Fund to obtain a $7 billion loan.
The fund has asked Pakistan to increase taxes and bring them into line.
According to the Associated Press, the rising cost of living and price increases in Pakistan have sparked widespread discontent and protests.
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