ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers belonging to Malakand Division Tuesday demanded the government to withdraw the Customs Act, 1969 immediately, terming it against the annexation agreement.
They also threatened that all 10 MNAs hailing from Malakand Division will tender resignations if their demand was not met.
Raising a Calling Attention notice regarding applicability of the Customs Act, 1969 to Malakand Division and District Kohistan, Sahibzada Tariqullah apprised that under annexation agreement no custom act could be extended to the division and requested the government to withdraw it.
Dr. Ibadullah of PML-N while endorsing the viewpoint of Sahibzada Tariqullah said that Swat, Chitral and Dir were independent states before annexation. At the time of annexation, it was decided that no tax would be levied in these areas, he added.
He said the areas were hit by various calamities like earthquake and flash floods recently. The extension of custom act would further burden the people of the areas, he added.
He went on to say that the Malakand Division has also 21 provincial assembly members besides eight provincial ministers who would also tender their resignation from both the National and Provincial Assemblies if the decision was not taken back.
Iftikhar ud din of All Pakistan Muslim League said the Malakand division comprises around 50 per cent of the total Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and there was public disagreement on the government's decision.
He also called for linking of the area with China Pakistan Economic Corridor project and setting up an economic zone for benefits of the area people.
Responding to the Calling Attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Revenue Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan said the federal government had extended the custom act on the request of the Khyber Pakhtunkhaw government.
"The federal government is ready to revise it if the KPK government sends proposal in this regard," he said.
Rana Afzal said that the federal government had always played its proactive role in every odd hour. The provincial government would receive Rs.26 billion more this year before National Finance Commission (NFC) award, he said and added that over Rs.150 billion were paid to the province in last few years.
However, he said only the vehicle smugglers were getting benefit of the free tax zone.These smuggled vehicles were transported in parts on camels to the areas, he added.
The Parliamentary Secretary said only one million people were paying tax out of total 200 million which was only 0.5 per cent.
Later, the lawmakers staged token walk out of the House in protest against extending custom act to the Malakand division.
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