Kashmir Traders and Manufacturing Federation led by Muhammad Yasin Khan on Friday called for a Kashmir Bandh on Jul 01 against the government’s ‘imminent decision’ of implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the state.Addressing a presser here, Khan who was accompanied by several traders said that they will also hold a sit-in tomorrow against the implementation of GST.According to KNS correspondent, he said that the traders of Jammu and Kashmir were not against the tax.“Confusion is being created that we (traders) are against tax, which we are not.We are against the implementation of GST in the state as it will infringe the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.He said that they won’t allow the state government to implement the Indian law here. “We won’t allow it any cost,” Khan added.
“At a time when the government is claiming that the law has been amended 52 times in past, we want to convey them that we won’t allow it to amend once again,” he said, adding that the JK is disputed and the people here have sacrificed everything and “we won’t allow anyone to play with the sacrifices.”He said that they want the government to come up with complete agenda over it and the verbal assurances from the government are unacceptable to the people of Kashmir.“The traders here have decided now to observe bandh tomorrow to press for our demands,” he said.He said that besides Kashmir, the people of traders from Chenab Valley are also going to observe Bandh tomorrow to press the government over their demands.Khan informed that the members from several districts including Srinagar will participate in tomorrow’s protest, which will be held at the commercial Hub Lal Chowk at around 11:30 am. (KNS)