Chinese nationals protest by blocking lounge exit gate

RAWALPINDI: With custom officials charging duties from all visitors for carrying additional cell phones, two Chinese nationals who arrived in the country at the new Islamabad International Airport decided to protest the duty in a unique manner, by laying flat on the ground at the exit gate of the airport lounge.

The Airport Security Force (ASF) had to physically move them to clear the gate.

According to sources, Chinese nationals Lei Zhen To and Lian Zheh Fu had arrived at the airport (aboard XZ6007) from Urumqi in China on Friday.

During a customs check, when six cellphones were found on them, they were asked to pay a customs duty of $285 on four of them in line with recent regulations introduced by the government.

At this, the two Chinese nationals started protesting.

The customs officials tried to explain to them that they cannot take the additional cell phones without first paying the customs duty.

At this, the two Chinese nationals decided to lay down at the exit gate to the international arrivals lounge to block it. The ASF officials repeatedly warned the Chinese nationals to move. But when they did not listen, the officials physically removed them and cleared the gate.

After a while, some other Chinese nationals arrived to receive Lei Zhen To and Lian Zheh Fu and paid the customs duty and left the airport.

In November last year, the government had introduced a new policy whereby those travelling to Pakistan will be allowed to bring in only one cellphone, per year, free of customs duty as per the personal baggage rules.

Moreover, a maximum of five smartphones can be brought into the country under the new regulations in a year. However, customs duty will have to be paid on the extra four handsets to require service in Pakistan beyond 30 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2019.