Pak: Mobile phone traders protest against heavy taxes

The traders selling mobile phones in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kohat took to the streets on Tuesday against the imposition of heavy sales tax on both the imported and locally-manufactured handsets, local media reported.

Speaking at the rally held at the Shah Faisal Gate, president of Kohat mobile phone sellers' association Alif Noor and president of the main bazaar union Amir Khan said the overseas Pakistanis, who sent billions of dollars in remittances, had been asked to pay huge taxes on activation of their mobile phones in Pakistan, or have them blocked, Dawn reported.

They said taxes had been raised from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 on all kinds of phones sold locally. They said the mobile phone traders were already paying huge rents of their shops, and the new taxes would ruin their businesses.

Speaking on the occasion, Shafiullah Jan, a local Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader, said the government was pushing the mobile phone traders against the wall.

Jan further stated that purchasing power of people had already eroded due to price hike, and the taxation on cell phones would badly affect the business community, Dawn reported.

( With inputs from ANI )

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