Unauthorised taxes: ‘End corruption, illegal toll plazas or we go on strike’
All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association accuses police officials in K-P of overcharging and taking bribes.
PESHAWAR:
The prognosis for fuel supply in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) is not good if things do not change for the better, quick.
The provincial chapter of All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTOA) gave the government 72 hours on Friday to take action against illegal toll plazas in the province. Otherwise, they warned, they will halt supply of fuel to K-P.
Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club, APOTOA Provincial President Nasir Ali Khan said illegal toll plazas in K-P and tribal areas are fleecing oil tankers and there is a strong need to bring an end to this illegal business.
He said Superintendent of Police (SP) Rural Circle Abdul Kalam Khan had imposed a ban on supply of fuel on Ring Road, Inquilab Road, Chamkani and Peshawar city due to bomb threats in the region. However, the security reasons were a mere excuse for the police to fill their pockets through unfair means, he asserted. “The drivers are often subjected to insult and abuse if they don’t offer bribes to the officers,” he remarked.
Khan accused the political agent of Khyber Agency of imposing an illegal toll tax on tankers which carried oil to Afghanistan. He said the tankers bound for Jalalabad are charged up to Rs13,000 at Takhta Baig, Machni and Torkahm checkposts, and drivers are not given any receipt for the amount. “Earlier, the tankers were charged Rs500 for the same route. However, the authorities have increased the amount to Rs13,000, which is not fair by any means,” he said.
He added unauthorised toll plazas have been set up near Karkhano Market, which charge Rs300 from transporters, even though they were issued receipts of Rs100 only. He went on to explain that DIG police Kashif Alam had refused to talk with relevant authorities, despite being given directions by Governor K-P Masood Kausar to do so.
“We do not want to create problems for people by holding strikes in the province, which is already under pressure due to militancy. However, if the authorities do not abolish these illegal taxes within the next 72 hours, we will be forced to suspend fuel supply to the entire province and the government would be responsible for any untoward incident,” he warned.
He said APOTOA is running around 15,000 tankers in K-P, adding that these tankers had no relation with NATO supplies as they only carried local fuel supply.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2011.
The prognosis for fuel supply in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) is not good if things do not change for the better, quick.
The provincial chapter of All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTOA) gave the government 72 hours on Friday to take action against illegal toll plazas in the province. Otherwise, they warned, they will halt supply of fuel to K-P.
Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club, APOTOA Provincial President Nasir Ali Khan said illegal toll plazas in K-P and tribal areas are fleecing oil tankers and there is a strong need to bring an end to this illegal business.
He said Superintendent of Police (SP) Rural Circle Abdul Kalam Khan had imposed a ban on supply of fuel on Ring Road, Inquilab Road, Chamkani and Peshawar city due to bomb threats in the region. However, the security reasons were a mere excuse for the police to fill their pockets through unfair means, he asserted. “The drivers are often subjected to insult and abuse if they don’t offer bribes to the officers,” he remarked.
Khan accused the political agent of Khyber Agency of imposing an illegal toll tax on tankers which carried oil to Afghanistan. He said the tankers bound for Jalalabad are charged up to Rs13,000 at Takhta Baig, Machni and Torkahm checkposts, and drivers are not given any receipt for the amount. “Earlier, the tankers were charged Rs500 for the same route. However, the authorities have increased the amount to Rs13,000, which is not fair by any means,” he said.
He added unauthorised toll plazas have been set up near Karkhano Market, which charge Rs300 from transporters, even though they were issued receipts of Rs100 only. He went on to explain that DIG police Kashif Alam had refused to talk with relevant authorities, despite being given directions by Governor K-P Masood Kausar to do so.
“We do not want to create problems for people by holding strikes in the province, which is already under pressure due to militancy. However, if the authorities do not abolish these illegal taxes within the next 72 hours, we will be forced to suspend fuel supply to the entire province and the government would be responsible for any untoward incident,” he warned.
He said APOTOA is running around 15,000 tankers in K-P, adding that these tankers had no relation with NATO supplies as they only carried local fuel supply.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2011.