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GB traders end protest at Sost Dry Port after more than two months

Traders in Gilgit-Baltistan ended their over two-month-long sit-in at the Sost Dry Port on Saturday, paving the way for the resumption of trade and tourism via the Pakistan-China border at the location.

The protest was launched in July against the government’s taxation policies and suspension of customs clearance at the port.

Trade leader Javed Hussain, who led the protest, told Dawn.com, that the announcement about traders ending the protest ending was made by the supreme council — a body that had represented the them in talks with the federal and GB government.

Following the negotiations, Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari had announced on Wednesday that the government had agreed to tax exemptions on imports coming through the Sost Dry Port — provided that the goods were for local consumption and meet strict eligibility conditions. The total annual value of tax exemptions was capped at Rs4 billion.

However, expressing dissatisfaction over the negotiations’ results, GB traders had decided to continue to the sit-in and hold a meeting with the supreme council.

Hussain said the traders had ended their sit-in on the suggestion of the council but, at the same time, he expressed reservations on the decision.

He maintained that the decisions taken during negotiations with the government were not completely in line with their demands.

Separately, trade leader Rehan Shah shared with Dawn.com that the protesting traders had held a meeting with the supreme council last night, during which the sit-in and the agreement reached with the government were discussed.

Shah added it was decided that containers stuck at the Sost Dry Port for the past two years would be cleared in the next two days and a statutory regulatory order (SRO) would be issued within a month, which he said would be the practical implementation of the traders’ demands. He added the supreme council and traders would hold another meeting to decide the future plan of action when the SRO was issued or even if its issuance was delayed.

Earlier, a committee constituted by the GB chief minister had suggested that a special consolidated SRO should be introduced to grant tax exemption for GB.



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