Timergara   -  The Awami National Party (ANP) Lower Dir chapter on Wednesday rejected a crackdown against non-custom paid (NCP) vehicles and imposition of taxes in Malakand division and announced their intention to resist the government’s move.

Speaking at a news conference at the Timergara press club, the ANP district president and former MPA Haji Bahadar Khan, senior vice president Malik Sajjad Khan, tehsil president Ulfat Hayat, Malik Ikramuddin, and others said the caretaker government and the administration wanted to add to people’s miseries. T

hey argued that the caretaker government had no mandate to impose taxes, and Malakand division had been a tax-free zone. They stated that the people would never accept any unilateral decision in that regard. They also mentioned that the administration had started a crackdown against non-custom paid vehicles in all districts of the Malakand division. 

The ANP leaders said that the ANP would strongly resist taxing non-custom paid vehicles as they had been the only party that fought for the rights of Pukhtun.

They emphasized that Malakand had been the worst region affected by militancy, flash floods, and earthquakes in the near past, so the government should provide relief to its residents. They claimed that the ANP had made great sacrifices for the restoration of peace in the region, losing dozens of its leaders and workers while countering militancy.

They said the caretaker government had to conduct general elections in the country and that it was not its responsibility to make important decisions as it had no public mandate. The ANP leaders threatened that they would take people to the streets if the government did not reverse its decision regarding taxing non-custom paid vehicles.

Meanwhile, the PPP also rejected the administration’s decision to register non-custom paid vehicles with the excise and taxation department.

Talking to local journalists, the PPP district secretary of information and former district councillor advocate Alam Zeb said the PPP would observe a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike if the government failed to reverse its decision regarding the registration of non-custom paid vehicles. He said the government’s announcement had spread panic and anger among millions of people in the Malakand division.