Trader Bodies extend support to hurriyat’s bandh call for August 29

Several traders’ bodies, including Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), Kashmir Economic Alliance and Kashmir Traders Federation (KTF) today extended support to the strike call given by the separatists for August 29.
The call had been given to “resist attempts to abrogate Article 35A” that confers special rights and privileges to the state subjects.
In a statement, KTMF president Mohammad Yaseen Khan said they were “ready to face bullets in order to protect the special status of Jammu and Kashmir”. “It will be an all-out war if the Centre scrapped Article 35A. It is a matter of life and death for us. The business community, be it traders, hoteliers or transporters, are ready to sacrifice their lives to protect the special status of our state. The government is using all dirty tactics to take away over special status but we won’t let it happen. First they implemented the GST, then the Statistics Bill and now attempts are being made to scrap Article 35A,” he added.
KTF chief spokesperson Ajaz Shahdhar said the federation was ready for any kind of sacrifice for the cause.
“We shall strive our best against the conspiracy hatched by the Central government and its puppets in J&K. The federation is supporting the voice of the public of J&K and can shed the last drop of blood for the safety and survival of Kashmir,” he said.