Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) has convened an All Party Conference in Malakand division to devise a policy against the enforcement of Customs Act in the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA).

ANP sources said the meeting was scheduled to be held on July 13 which would be attended by representatives of all political parties, trader unions, civil society members including lawyers, transporters, lawmakers and local government councilors from all seven districts of Malakand division. A senior member of the ANP said the sole purpose of the meeting was to launch a movement to stop the government from imposing Customs Act in the area. He said the political parties of the province had failed to resolve the issue on the floor of the provincial assembly to force the federal government to withdraw the decision. He said time has come to resolve the issue on roads. The move came after the federal government sought the opinion of the FBR tax collection section in implementing the policy with help of the lawmakers of the region. An official in the Home department told Daily Times, on the condition of anonymity, that the issue had sparked unity among the leaders of various political parties. He said that the federal government wanted to take onboard the lawmakers from Malakand division over the issue of tax implementation.

Swat Hotels Association president Zahid Khan said the decision to enforce Customs Act in the division would not only affect the business badly but would also impact the vote bank of both Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the area.

Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Amir Muqam issued a statement blaming the PTI for “implicitly supporting” the implementation of the Customs Act in the Malakand division.

Zahid Khan said that use of force could damage the social fabric in PATA where peace had recently been restored after efforts.

It should be noted that the Customs Department had set up different stations at the Malakand division that would be operational after formal implementation of the tax collection order.

Another official of the department who pleaded anonymity said the ground realty indicate that the political parties unity would not allow any tax collection in the area.

He said that recently a violent mob consisting of political activists had attacked a building of the Customs Department in the division.