Islamabad: (Parliament Times) Urging the government to provide Intra-Kashmir traders an unhindered access to main markets in Rawalpindi, Lahore and other cities of Pakistan the Trader’s body on Wednesday said that the government should either remove all the hurdles in the way or impose complete ban on Intra-Kashmir trade to close this chapter once and for all.
The demand was made by president AJK Chamber of Commerce and industry Ch. Murtaza and other members of the trade community including Khurshid Mir, Mehmood Dar, Ejaz Mir, Sardar Mazhar Iqbal, Sardar Qazeem and others while talking to media men during a press conference at National Press Club Islamabad. They said that the landmark initiative, which was taken in 2008 has been facing multiple challenges at different levels. “It was quite unfortunate that this trade is recognised only by the government of AJK whereas government of Pakistan treat LoC traders as smugglers”, they said adding the LoC traders have been on strike for last one month as Islamabad custom officials were not allowing them to bring their goods imported from other side of the LoC to main markets.
They appealed the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Finance Minister Asad Umar to take due action against the custom officials in order to save the traders from what they called unjust economic slaughter . They said that as per the rules it is a tax-free trade but even then the traders were ready to pay the taxes through a proper channel. They said that rather than creating hurdles the custom department should setup their posts at Kohalla and Azad Patan where LoC traders could formally and legally pay their taxes. “If government is helpless in doing so then complete ban should be imposed on Intra-Kashmir trade to close this chapter once and for all”, they added.
