Daily Times

KHYBER: Industrialists and traders community of Khyber on Thursday held a demonstration against expected implementation of taxes on their industries in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Reportedly, while holding black flags, banners and placards inscribed with slogans in their favour, a large number of industry owners, traders and political workers of many political parties carried out a rally from Jamrud press club which accumulated at Bab-e-Khyber. The notables including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Suhail Afridi, trader Zubair Afridi, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal-ul-Rehman (JUI-F) Said Kabir Afridi and others denounced the proposed implementation of taxes in the form of sale and income taxes. “The taxes would reduce tribesmen’s earnings, who are already in a state of destitution,” they declared.

Contrarily, they urged the government to grant tribesmen an exemption from tax as an important step that would boost economic activities in FATA.

Otherwise, the protesters warned that they would initiate agitations in Islamabad and Peshawar for an indefinite period of time.

During demonstration, the traffic at Pak-Afghan highway remained suspended.

All kinds of taxes were exempted in FATA till recent past; however, after merging of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and elimination of Frontier Crime Regulation (FRC), taxes were imposed in the tribal belt and all across the country.

Published in Daily Times, June 22^nd 2018.