BATKHELA: The leaders and activists of the Awami National Party (ANP) on Tuesday took out protest rally in Malakand Agency against the enforcement of the Customs Act.
Led by ANP district chief Shafiullah, Ijaz Ali Khan and Fazal Ahmad, the protesters chanted slogans against the federal government for implementing the Customs Act in Malakand. Carrying banners and placards, they marched through various areas and gathered at the Batkhela Khwar.
Speaking on the occasion, they said imposition of the Customs Act would never be accepted as Malakand was declared a tax-free zone in the 1973 Constitution. Militancy and natural calamities had already affected people and destroyed infrastructure of the region and imposition of the Customs Act would multiply their miseries, they added. They also asked the government to withdraw the notification or else a protest campaign would be launched.