With cross Line of Control (LoC) trade losing its sheen with every passing day, traders at Salamabad in Uri have accused Customs Department of demanding duty on apples being brought in from Muzaffarabad.
The traders alleged that the list of the items being exchanged across the LoC has been regularly brought down and no revision of the list has been done over last so many years. According to a local news gathering agency KNS, the traders at Salamabad alleged that the department stopped the apples for they demanded to levy tax on them.
The traders alleged that the list of the items being exchanged across the LoC has been brought down and “no revision of the list has been done over last so many years.” The traders said the custom authorities at TFC stopped apples worth Rs 1.5 crore.
“Custom officials are not allowing us to lift the apples from the TFC.” KNS quoted General Secretary Islamabad Chakoti Trade Union Hilal Turki as saying. He added that it appears that the officials want to levy customs duty on apples which is against the rules. “This is a custom free intra Kashmir trade and both India and Pakistan have already agreed to keep it custom free. I don’t know why these people are creating impediments in the process,” asked Turki.
A custom officer at Uri however refused to comment saying he does not know anything about the matter. “I don’t know about this and can’t comment on it,” the official, who did not reveal his identity told KNS over phone. Cross LoC trade between the two divided parts of Kashmir began in 2008, however, the nature of the trade has been ‘barter’ and both the countries despite repeated demands, have not as yet agreed to open the banking and communication facilities.
