Lawmakers have asked the government to lift the ban on entry of non-custom paid (NCP) vehicles into Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), maintaining it has failed to serve its purpose.
The resolution was passed on Thursday during a G-B Legislative Assembly (GBLA) session chaired by Deputy Speaker Jamil Ahmed.
Muhammad Naseer, the minister for excise and taxation (E&T) observed that despite the ban last year on entry of NCP vehicles, their numbers have increased drastically. “Until recently, there were hardly 10,000 NCP vehicles in G-B and the number has swelled to 30,000,” he said.
Naseer blamed the police officials stationed at the Basari Check Post for the lapse, alleging that they have been allowing the vehicles to enter into G-B from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in return for bribes. He said that given the failure of the police, in the future the task will be assigned to the E&T department, which will depute its officials at the Basari Checkpost, situated on the border of Kohistan district of K-P and Diamer district of G-B.
He said the developments have been communicated to the G-B police chief.
Imposed in March 2011, the ban on entry of NCP vehicles into G-B had been contested by various quarters, particularly by transporters from Kohistan and Malakand – areas that were declared tax-free due to widespread poverty and the people were allowed to run NCP vehicles.
Meanwhile, the house also unanimously adopted a resolution tabled by Amina Ansari, a legislator from Baltistan, for the establishment of the office of ombudsman in G-B.
Education Minister Ali Madad Sher maintained that since the government is short on funds, the ministry cannot pay the 25 percent salary allowance to its employees. However, he assured that those who have not yet been paid will be given the allowance soon.
Updating the house on causes that delayed appointment of judges in the Supreme Appellate Court, Law Minister Wazir Shakeel said that the summary prepared by the G-B government has been sent to the prime minister’s office. He said the appointments will be made by the time the courts reopen after three-month’s winter vacations in March-April.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ