GILGIT: A persistent protest sit-in on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) has now choked trade and travel between Pakistan and China via the Khunjerab Pass for three straight weeks, entering its 20th consecutive day on Friday.
Protesters Demand Tax Relief and Customs Clearance
Disruptions continue as demonstrators target taxation policies and suspended customs at Sost dry port.
The core of the dispute? Aggressive taxation policies and a standstill in customs clearance at the Sost dry port. Organizers are vowing to intensify their actions, accusing the government of dragging its feet despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent pledge to address the crisis and offer a one-time amnesty for stranded shipments.
Traders, gathered in Sost town near the Khunjerab Pass, voiced their frustration during a press conference. Members of the Tajir Etihad Action Committee are calling out what they perceive as the government’s delaying tactics, emphasizing that their peaceful protest is a stand for the constitutional and legal rights of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) residents.
The movement has garnered important regional backing from political, religious, trade, and youth organizations. One demonstrator, Abbas Mir, firmly stated that imposing federal taxes like income and sales tax on GB residents is illegal. He argued that as GB is a disputed territory, the Federal Board of Revenue’s operations there are unconstitutional. “Taxes cannot be collected from the people of GB untill representation in the Parliament of Pakistan is provided,” Mir declared.
Did you know?– The Khunjerab Pass, at nearly 16,000 feet, is one of the highest paved international border crossings in the world. It’s a vital trade link between Pakistan and China, especially for goods moving between the two countries.
The economic toll is substantial.Traders report that 280 consignments, originally imported from GB, have been stuck at the sost dry port for over
