Tobacco growers to hold sit-in against heavy taxes on 20th

PESHAWAR: The Tobacco Dealers Association has announced an indefinite sit-in in front of the Parliament House in Islamabad starting July 20, protesting against the “cruel” taxes imposed on tobacco in the recent budget. Addressing a joint emergency meeting of growers in Sheikha Dheri, Iqbal Khan of Shewa, the central president of the Tobacco Dealers Association warned that the federal government’s adverse policies and the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) misrepresentation of facts are rendering thousands of people unemployed, which could ultimately lead to law and order issues. Appealing to state institutions for intervention, he pointed out that flawed policies have already caused the government’s own excise duty revenue from tobacco to drop by half, while exports have plummeted by 40%. He concluded by saying that the patience of tobacco growers, laborers, and local company owners has finally run out. On July 20, tobacco growers and dealers from across the province will launch a decisive march toward Islamabad and stage a sit-in outside the Parliament House, which will continue until their demands are met. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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