Gilgit - After 11 days of sit-in, traders on Monday blocked the entry and exit points of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Sost, disrupting cross-border trade and transportation to press for their demand for the implementation of the chief court’s decision on taxes for local traders.
Protesters shut down the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route at Sost. All movement across the Pakistan-China border will be halted until our demands are met, said a protester while talking to The Nation.
The traders were protesting for the last eleven days against the non-implementation of the G-B Chief Court’s order restraining the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Customs from collecting taxes on imported items from China through the Khunjerab Pass, for local traders.
Speaking on the occasion, Custom Agents Association GB President Tufail Ali said the FBR and customs officials have been illegally collecting taxes from the GB people on items imported from China through Khunjerab Pass. He added that these taxes are against small traders of GB who earn their livelihood through trade with China. Adding to this, other speakers also stressed that for local traders, relaxation of income and sales tax on imported items should be implemented according to the GB Chief Court’s order.
Talking to The Nation, a tourist said they were facing problems due to the closure of the Karakoram Highway, and they also demanded the government address the concerns of the protesters so the tourism flow would not be affected by the ongoing protests.
While the protesters claimed that Pakistan Customs officials and the government are reluctant to address the genuine concerns of local traders, forcing them to resort to agitation.