GILGIT: The local business community of Gilgit-Baltistan staged a protest at the Karakoram Highway (KKH) against the imposition of Web-Based One Customs (WeBOC) system at Sost Dry Port.
Containers loaded with import and export goods are currently stranded at the Sost Port near Khunjerab Pass as traders have refused Customs clearance through WeBOC.
The call for sit in and boycott of trade between the two countries was given by the Gilgit-Baltistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GBCCI), as well as local import and export associations and trade organisations.
Addressing a press conference at the Gilgit Press Club, stakeholders said the officials of Pakistan Customs and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) were reluctant in redressing genuine grievances of the region’s trade and business community.
The GB High Court had recently granted a stay on the WeBOC system at Sost Dry Port. However, the FBR and Pakistan Customs have refused to accept the stay order.