K ARACHI: E conomic and business activities across Sindh, particularly in Karachi, came to a halt on Wednesday as traders kept their businesses closed on a `shutterdown strike` call given in protest against skyrocketing inflation, inflated electricity bills, Tajir Dost Scheme and various taxes.

The nationwide shutter-down strike call was given by almost all associations and bodies of businessmen and traders in the country and supported by Jamaat-i-Islami.

In the provincial capital of Karachi, major commercial centres, wholesale markets and all prominent shopping plazas remained closed in almost all seven dis-tricts of the city.

Industries and textile-related units in various industrial zones remained closed as they kept suspended their production and export-related activities.

However, a number of retail shops in residentialareas, roadside eateries and restaurants, remained open. Similarly, some transport operators and fuel stations also remained opened.

The JI described the strike as `historic and unprecedented`.

Business leaders said that they voluntarily kept their businesses closed to put pressure on the government for acceptance of their demands. They described the shutdown as a `unanimous response` to the call from Karachi business leaders and vowed that they would not accept the current structure of electricity tariff.

JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar, talking to the media along with traders on M.A.

Jinnah Road, said that the nationwide shutter-down strike was a `decisive move` to put pressure on the government to get relieffor traders and the general public.

He said that traders and citizens of Karachi stayed united.

He added that solidarity and unity were vital for protecting traders` and citizens` rights.

Traders demand removal of various taxes President of the All Karachi Tajir Itehad (AKTI) Atig Mir said traders were demanding removal of various taxes and duties in power bills, fuel cost adjustment, peak hour tariff, TV Licence Fee, additional surcharges, etc.

He said the business community felt that the taxes and exorbitant electricity bills were unjustified and a sheer burden on already hard-pressed consumers.

`There is no need for so much taxes on residential power bills and there should be a uniform tariff instead of various slabs.

The people are paying for all loot and plunders of IPPs,` he said.

`Excessive billing has prompted peopleto burn bills, suspend bill payments, and resort to protests and rallies. This shows that the country is heading towards civil disobedience,` he warned.

He urged the government to resolve the issue of high power bills and rising petroleum prices which were directly hitting the cost of living of low income groups and small and medium sized traders.

Shutter-down strike in other cities A complete shutter down strike was observed in Hyderabad against expensive electricity, heavy taxes and Tajir Dost Scheme. All main business and trade centres remained closed.

All main trade associations and chambers announced that they were supporting the strike.

Responding to the call of the Larkana Federation of Trade Union Association, a complete shutter down strike was observed against new taxes and inflated electricity tariff on Wednesday.The strike was also observed in Qambar and Shahdadkot. A complete shutter down strike was observed in Nawabshah in protest against heavy taxes under Tajor Dost Scheme.

All the main markets of Nawabshah remained closed on the call of traders. A partial strike was observed in Naushahro Feroze. Like the rest of the country, traders and business community kept their shops closed in Sukkur, Ghotki, KandhkotKashmore, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Khairpur districts and surrounding areas.

A protest rally was taken out from Trader Secretariat Gold Centre in Sarafa Bazar.

The protesters said the business community from Karachi to Khyber had given a clear message to the government by observing a complete shutter down strike in the country.

Mohammad Hussain Khan in Hyderabad, Zulfiqar Memon in Nawabshah, M.B. Kalhoro in Larkana and Waseem Shamsi in Sukkur also contributed to this report