Against customs act: Wheel jam strike to be observed in Swat

Political parties, traders held meeting

MINGORA: Plans to extend the Customs Act, 1969 to Malakand Division have been vehemently opposed by All-parties Action Committee. Members of the committee have decided to observe a wheel jam strike across Malakand Division on August 5 to compel the relevant authorities to reconsider the decision.

The decision was taken at a meeting held in Swat on Saturday.

“We have been forced to protest against the act by both the federal and provincial governments,” Swat Traders Federation President Abdur Rahim told The Express Tribune on Saturday. “Our next step is to observe a complete wheel jam strike on August 5.”

According to Rahim, the federal and provincial governments are responsible for proposing the plan to implement the act across Malakand Division.”

He added Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had sent a summary to President Mamnoon Hussain to implement the act.

“[Khattak] is now deceiving the people of Malakand by lobbying against the imposition of the act,” he added.

Rahim also lashed out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for not going to extra mile to resolve the matter.

“We expected the prime minister to formally announce that the plan to implement the act would be reconsidered,” he added.

The meeting, chaired by former MPA Qemos Khan, was attended by leaders of all the mainstream political parties and presidents of traders’ unions in Swat, Upper Dir and Lower Dir.

The participants said Malakand was prone to natural calamities and the region was also plagued by militancy.

They were of the view the federal and provincial governments should take steps for people of the division and call off the plan of imposition of the act.

The participants said the entire business sector, including agriculture, industries, tourism and transport, was facing a downward spiral and the imposition of the customs act will completely annihilate the region economically.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2016.