In a late-night development, the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) announced a nationwide shutter-down strike to be held on Saturday, July 19.
The strike has been announced in protest against a series of newly introduced tax measures deemed anti-business by the country’s business community.
According to a formal announcement, the Karachi chamber -- along with other major chambers of commerce across Pakistan -- will fully participate in the strike.
The protest is aimed at resisting what the business community calls draconian laws, including the controversial Rs200,000 threshold regulation, the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) arrest powers, mandatory digital invoicing, e-billing systems, and other measures introduced in recent tax reforms.
“The business community has been pushed to the wall. This strike is a collective response to policies that threaten economic stability and the survival of businesses, especially small and medium enterprises,” the KCCI stated.
In a show of unity, various industrial and trade associations in Karachi have also announced their full support for the strike.
The abrupt timing of the announcement -- made unusually late at night -- has raised eyebrows.
Sources within the chamber revealed that a recent visit by a key federal minister to the Karachi chamber had failed to produce any meaningful outcome.
