Mohmand - Scores of workers of the Marble and Mines Association on Tuesday held a protest demonstration here in Ekkaghund Bazaar against the “illegal” mining tax in Lower Mohmand.
The protesters also staged a sit-in in Ekkaghund Bazaar which caused traffic jam on main Mohmand-Bajaur Road for a while. The demonstration was led by office-bearers of Mohmand Mining Association, Mohmand Marble Transport and Marble Industries Union president Hayat Khan Mohmand, Haji Jan and others.
Addressing the protesters, they accused the government of illegally increasing the marble tax in Mohmand tribal district. They said that they would not accept the unjustifiable increase in the mineral taxes by the incumbent PTI led provincial government.
They said that the government had declared all tribal districts as tax-free zone for five years, but now they doubled the mines taxes on marble. It is worth mentioning that protests demonstrations are continued in Mohmand district for the last ten days against the increase in marble tax from Rs3,000 to Rs15,000 per truck.
Speaking on the occasion, Haji Shakir, Malik Sultan Baizai, Rafiullah, Malik Ayaz Khan, Shah Khalid and others said that the Mineral Department increased tax from Rs3,000 to Rs15000/ per truck without consulting them. “The government and responsible officials want to snatch our jobs, which is injustice with us,” Shah Khalid alleged.
The protesters asked Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan to take notice and withdraw the unjustified increase in taxes. They threatened that if their demands were not accepted then thousands of people would hold a protest in front of the KP Assembly, which would be continued till acceptance of demands.