MULTAN,April 7th:Shopkeepers and traders of Southern Punjab on Wednesday announced to observe strike from April 14 as a protest against long duration of load-shedding, high power tariff, fuel adjustment charges and levy of proposed Value added tax (VAT). Addressing a joint press conference here on Wednesday Khawaja Suleman Siddiqui Central president of Markazi Anjuman Tajiran South Punjab, M.Akhtar Butt, President of Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association, Shaikh Muhammad Akram, Arif Fasih-ullah, Shaikh Tariq Hussain, Shaikh Javed Akhtar, Sh.Ikram Shehzad, Dr.Manzoor-ul-Haq and Shaikh Muhammad Akram Hakim said ,"we would wait for withdrawal of VAT,power tariff, and load-shedding till April 13 and we would not accept any offer of negotiations and we would go on strike from April 14," They said that southern Punjab produces 65 percent of cotton, 45 percent of wheat,70 percent mangoes and it was earning billions of dollars by exporting trextile items, fresh vegetables and fruits but its income was not utilised in this area and Southern Punjab was left backwarded by the rulers.They said that there was no water for irrigation of land, no electricity to run our tubewells,rates of high speed diesel were beyond the reach of common farmers. The traders,however, congratulated president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on the approval of 18th constitutional amendment and said that now doors of power corridores have shut for the adventurists and dictators forever and Prime Minister had emerged as a strongest premier.They reiterated their demands for constitution of a federating unit of Seraikistan to end the sense of deprivation developed among the people of the area during last 60 years.They said that Punjab Chief Minister had announced to declare Multan as big city and granting big city allowance to Government, semi Government employees but people are still awaiting for the notification.