Big dacoits loot billions while small traders face humiliation: Zubair Ansari
By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE, November 3, 2025 — Chairman of the Awami Muthida Movement Pakistan, Zubair Ansari, has strongly condemned the prevailing culture of selective accountability, where the powerful looters of the national exchequer walk free while small traders and vendors are humiliated, arrested, and punished for minor irregularities.
Speaking to media representatives, Zubair Ansari, who also serves as Chairman of the International Union of Writers and Central Secretary General of the Pakistan Traders Alliance, said that the real “economic dacoits” responsible for billions and trillions of rupees in corruption are never apprehended. Instead, the authorities routinely target small businessmen, hawkers, and shopkeepers to show false performance and statistics.
He said that the institutions like the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan Enforcement Regulatory Authority (PERA), and Customs Department often harass small traders, while the “big fish” those who manipulate trade and industry through cartels and mafias continue to enjoy political protection. “The system has become cruel. The real dacoits are in boardrooms and power corridors, not on the streets,” Ansari remarked.
Referring to the property sector, he criticized the government’s five-marla house gain tax, calling it an act of injustice against the middle class. “Instead of encouraging small homeowners, the government is taxing their survival. Real estate, which supports hundreds of allied industries, is being hit hard by flawed DC valuations and unrealistic taxation,” he said.
Ansari added that white money, the legitimate income of hardworking citizens, is being blocked by rigid banking and FBR regulations, while those who launder black money continue to exploit loopholes. “This policy discourages honest taxpayers and benefits only the corrupt elite,” he said.
Commenting on the recent petrol price reduction, Ansari said there has been no real benefit for consumers*, as fuel stations have deprived the consumers with proper measure and upto 30 percent is less fuel is filled in vehicles. “This is an eyewash. Citizens are forced to wait in long queues while the powerful oil lobby manipulates distribution to maintain profits,” he alleged.
Zubair Ansari, author of 17 books including ‘Main Allah Aur Science,’ further said that Pakistan’s trade and industry are controlled by mafias who operate with political backing. “These mafias dictate prices, create artificial shortages, and control import channels, while honest businessmen are squeezed through raids, fines, and red tape,” he said.
He urged the government to implement transparent accountability, free from political influence, and to protect small traders who form the backbone of the national economy. “If justice is to prevail, the billions stolen by the influential must be recovered first. Until then, our economy will remain hostage to corruption and hypocrisy,” Ansari concluded.
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