Pakistan’s traders to launch protests against inflation

The traders association in Pakistan will launch protests across the country after Eidul Fitr against the rising inflation and worsening economic conditions, media reports said on Sunday. Addressing a press conference, Markazi Tanzeem Tajran President Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry said that traders all over Pakistan would organise conventions and demonstrations if issues were not resolved, the News reported. He regretted that the government did not pass on a reduction in crude oil prices in the international market to the people and on the other hand, it was not ready to bring down its non-development expenses, it said. Criticising the government, Chaudhry said that the issues could be addressed if the government was serious and sincere in doing so. “Neither the politicians, ministers nor bureaucracy is ready to cut their expenses and are getting free fuel and other benefits as usual,” he added. He said the government should immediately announce a reduction in non-development expenses by 50 per cent. Chaudhry also asked the government to stop the humiliation of poor masses in the name of the provision of free flour, The News reported. “Poor women, elderly people and children are made to suffer and die while standing in queues for hours,” he said, adding that five people had lost their lives in attempts to get poor-quality flour. He alleged that the mafia responsible for the flour crisis were sitting in parliament. He said the government had cancelled wheat permits for flour mills, which resulted in a hike in the price of the commodity. Chaudhry asked the government to review its Ramadan package so that poor masses were not humiliated in the name of so-called relief and free flour, The News reported.