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The authorities of Pakistan Customs advised the traders of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB), who are protesting to stop the collection of taxes, to lift the restrictions on consignments lying at the Sost dry port after having been imported from China, Dawn reported.
The warning by the customs authorities came amid the ongoing protests organized by the PoGB traders. Reportedly, these protests by the traders are organised to demand the imposition of a previous GB Chief Court order, which would stop the collection of taxes, sales tax and additional sales tax from the PoGB traders on imports from China. Last month, Justice Raja Shakeel Ahmed of the PoGB Chief Court ordered to stop the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Customs from collecting these taxes, observing that the region was exempted from such taxes, reported Dawn. Reportedly, the local traders of PoGB have been staging a protest for the past two weeks, blocking the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and suspending travel, trade and customs between Pakistan and China border because of non-implementation of the court directives. The Assistant Customs Collector at Sost, Imtiaz Shigri sent a notice to GB Importers and Exporters Association president Muhammad Iqbal on Wednesday, seeking clearance of the customs premises. "You are hereby strongly advised to clear the occupation of customs premises and allow the normal trade activity to flow. You are also strongly advised to clear your goods so that other traders have the opportunity to use the port," the notice read, according to the Dawn. Defying the notice, the traders still continued the sit-in outside the Sost dry port and blocked the KKH. They announced that the protest would be called off by them, only when their demands were fulfilled. Addressing the protesters, traders' representatives Javed Hussain, Muhammad Abbas, Imtiaz Gilgiti and others accused the customs officials of insulting the order of the Chief Court and PoGB Assembly. (ANI)
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