DATE=5/19/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=PAKISTAN / PROTEST (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262556
BYLINE=SCOTT ANGER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: In Pakistan, a three-day strike called by retailers
and religious groups has shut down the country's major
cities. The business community is protesting government
plans for a retail sales tax, while religious groups are
pressing the military government to restore Islamic law.
V-O-A's Scott Anger reports from Islamabad.
TEXT: Businesses across Pakistan shut their doors (Friday)
to protest the military government's plan to widen its tax
base. Currently, there is no broad-based retail sales tax
in Pakistan, where only one percent of the country's 140-
million people pay income tax.
Business owners say the tax plan would make them vulnerable
to abuse by corrupt tax officials.
The strike is the first major act of defiance against
Pakistan's military government. Since ousting the
democratically-elected government last October, the
military leader, General Pervez Musharraf, has vowed to
reform Pakistan's political system and revive its ailing
economy.
Political governments in the past have been unable to
implement such taxes after bowing to similar pressure from
the business community.
The strike comes at a time when an International Monetary
Fund mission is in Pakistan holding talks on whether the
debt-ridden country deserves more financial assistance.
The I-M-F stalled a loan program last year after Pakistan
failed to meet economic targets, including reform of the
tax system.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's religious leaders also called a
strike Friday, urging people to stay at home to press the
government to implement Islamic laws, such as the
elimination of interest charges at banks and the
declaration of Fridays as public holidays. Banks' interest
charges are considered to be against Islam. The religious
groups want Islamic laws included in the provisional
constitution, which was put in place after the military
ousted the civilian government of Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif on October 12th.
Pakistan's commercial capital, Karachi, has been most
affected by the simultaneous strike calls. A prominent
Sunni Muslim scholar and his driver were shot dead on
Thursday, leading to violent street protests.
No one has taken responsibility for the killing, which is
the latest in a series of attacks apparently motivated by
religious differences, involving rival Sunni and Shiite
Muslim groups.
Soldiers and paramilitary police have been positioned
around the city following the violence, which has left
least three people dead and several injured. (Signed)
NEB/SA/WTW
19-May-2000 08:33 AM EDT (19-May-2000 1233 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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