The amount Pakistan loses per month to NATO under fuel tax exemption
As Pakistan gears up to receive $1.5 billion from the Coalition Support Fund from Washington, concerns have been raised on the losses that are incurred from sales tax exemptions on NATO fuel. A source in Petroleum Ministry has revealed that the Government of Pakistan incurs a loss of at least 4.5 billion rupees every month because of these tax exemptions, leading to annual loss of 54 billion rupees.
The official said that because of a transit-agreement between the NATO and Pakistan, NATO does not pay any charges for the fuel stored in a depot of Pakistan State Oil, and other privately own oil marketing companies. ‘Each day, as many as 120 oil tankers ship fuel from the two oil depots of Karachi, and head out for the NATO troops. Each tanker carries as much as 50,000 liters in its barrel,” the official said.
Ex ISI chief, and defense expert, Hameed Gul, while speaking to Pakistan Today, said, ’these shipments are causing a loss in billions. If you do the simple Maths, Pakistan is losing a yearly figure of over Rs 41 billion rupees, something it cannot afford to lose, especially at this point in time when it needs funds to help its people destroyed the farmlands and homes in KPK and Balochistan, displacing thousands of people.’ This transport system involves four companies who use more than 3,000 tankers to ship fuel to Afghanistan. The Al-Hajj group has tasked 1,000 of their tankers to ship fuel to Kabul, Mengal Brothers have assigned 1,500 of their tankers, Spinners have 500 working for NATO while Bilal Company has deployed 50 of their tankers for the convenience of NATO troops fuel supplies, sources said.
America and her allies entered Afghanistan to fight the Taliban after it accused their government of harboring al-Qaeda terrorists, blamed for the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York in 2001. Since then, Pakistan has been a frontline state with America in the war on terror, helping the US by allowing them a transit route across the country to ship fuel, food and cargo to Kabul.
Interestingly where Pakistan has received a bounty for its efforts from the United States, the funds have hardly minimized the misery of the common man back home.
NATO supply: first convoy leaves for Afghanistan
Almost two dozen containers carrying NATO supplies left for Afghanistan on Thursday morning from Port Qasim Karachi, officials said.
“About 150 Nato containers will leave for the neighbouring country today from the port,” the port authority officials said.
Meanwhile, the sources said that the extortion mafia had stopped several vehicles carrying the supply and forced the drivers to pay extortion money before leaving for Afghanistan in Maripur Truck terminal.
Chairman FBR Mumtaz Haider Rizvi also said that NATO and ISAF containers would leave for Afghanistan after scanning.
He said that no NATO, ISAF container would be allowed to leave for Afghanistan without scanning. He said that each container would be completely checked before departure. Mumtaz Haider Rizvi also said that tracking system would be fixed at each NATO and ISAF. He said that NLC would carry the containers to Afghanistan and the journey of each container from Karachi to the Afghan border would be monitored by satellite.
Pakistan reopened the NATO supply route after the blockade of seven month.
Pakistan halted the supply routes following an attack on Salala check-post by US on November 26 last year which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
NATO supplies restored in greater national interest: Rehman Malik
Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik said on Thursday the decision to re-open the NATO supply routes had been made in the broader national interest.
Talking to media persons at the Karachi airport, Rehman Malik said strong action would be taken if the anti-government elements tried to halt the NATO supplies or resort to violent acts.
He said the opposition parties and others reserved their right to express their opinions but no one would be allowed to disturb law and order situation.
Malik also criticized the Punjab government for pressurising the protesting doctors by force, instead of accepting their just demands. He said any violent acts against the NATO supplies resumption would be dealt with sternly.
