Syed Agha Qayum, General Secretary of Tajiran Pakistan and President of Balochistan Tajiran, visited the protest camp at Murree Road jewelers market in Rawalpindi today to express solidarity with shopkeepers and assure institutional support. During the visit he condemned what he termed illegal taxes and harassment by the Federal Board of Revenue and promised to facilitate access to government bodies, including the FBR, on behalf of the affected traders.
Mr. Qayum demanded an immediate resolution of the sales tax and point-of-sale declaration issues troubling the jewellery trade, and called for an end to raids and persistent harassment. He criticized the continued use of SRO 924 as a pretext for imposing unwarranted levies and said such tactics must stop to restore normal business activity. The focus on jewelers tax was central to his appeal for dialogue with genuine trade representatives.
Leaders of the Murree Road Jewelers Association thanked the visiting delegation and reiterated that merchants have been unfairly targeted through ad hoc tax measures. Association President Rana Abdul Qadoos urged the FBR to engage directly with legitimate representatives of the jewellery sector to find practical solutions rather than relying on enforcement actions that disrupt trade.
Present at the camp were Barrister Rehan Javed Rana, Senior Vice President Naqash Shirazi, Vice President Wasim Ali, Finance Secretary Ahsan, Hassan bin Salahuddin Ghazi and former and current officials of the Murree Road Zargar Association. Traders at the site pledged to strengthen coordination with Tajiran Pakistan and vowed to continue pressing for a fair settlement on jewelers tax and POS declaration requirements.
Qayum reiterated that the Balochistan traders organization is ready to participate fully in any protest action if necessary, while calling on the FBR and other authorities to engage in good faith and resolve the outstanding demands to prevent further escalation.
