PESHAWAR: For a long time, traders have been complaining that they are facing raids and impounding of their trucks and mercantile goods at the hands of Pakistan Customs after they enter the territory of Pakistan from Pakistan Administered Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iran and China, notwithstanding the fact that it is a zero tariff trade on barter basis.
“As soon as our trucks cross Torkham Border they have to give sweeteners to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police first. Next are the Punjab police personnel waiting for the trucks who also want their palms greased after crossing Attock,” alleged Sharafat Ali Khan, Member of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, after meeting the delegation of transporter union while talking to Customs Today on Thursday in Peshawar.
On November 30, they recalled that traders moved their vehicles in a caravan to escape “extortions” but when they reached Faizabad (Rawalpindi), they were intercepted by Pakistan Customs who wanted to take into possession trucks and, in the ensuing clash between the two sides, three officials and five traders were injured.
Following the incident, an FIR was registered by Sadiqabad police against seven nominated persons and 39 unidentified traders on the application of Pakistan Customs. On December 13, Sadiqabad police intercepted a similar convoy at IJT Road and arrested three traders and two truckers from among the unidentified accused persons.
Over the past four or so weeks alone, the customs authorities had confiscated and auctioned goods loaded on 12 trucks causing poor traders a loss of millions of rupees.
Sharafat Ali Khan maintained that the treatment, being meted out to them by Punjab police and Customs officials, seems to aim at shutting down the trade initiated to upgrade the economic situation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan as a whole.
