Sost [Pakistan], August 4 : For more than three years, traders in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan have been protesting at the Sost Dry Port, demanding an end to long-standing customs delays and the imposition of federal taxes on imported goods.
Despite a court ruling in July 2024 that exempts them from certain federal taxes, customs officials are reportedly still enforcing these charges. This has caused significant financial losses for the traders and has severely impacted their businesses. Protest leaders also allege that authorities have resorted to unlawful detentions as a means to disrupt and undermine their ongoing movement.
One protester explained that, without any warrant, police forces entered their homes and detained them without any justification.
"Three nights ago, without any warrant, the police violated the privacy of our homes and took us away without any reason. Their aim was to sabotage the protest being organised by the traders' community, which is demanding their rights. Our movement's goal is to make it clear that laws related to income tax, sales tax, and other duties, except customs duty, should not be imposed on us because we are not constitutionally recognised as a province of Pakistan."
The traders maintain that their protests are peaceful and focused on asserting their constitutional rights. They have warned the authorities against escalating tensions.
"All the traders gathered here want the Constitution to prevail. They demand that their constitutional rights be upheld immediately and that the situation should not be allowed to worsen. If it does, all responsible institutions will be held accountable," said another protester.
Further expressing their frustration, a protest leader said, "We have committed no crime, broken no law, and have not violated the Constitution. Meanwhile, those who have actually broken laws roam free, and we, who only want everything to operate according to the Constitution, are the ones detained."
With authorities remaining unresponsive and tensions rising, traders warn that ignoring their grievances could push the situation in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan toward a much deeper crisis.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor