Protest launched against toll tax collection

MANSEHRA: The civil society, transporters and traders have launched a protest campaign against toll tax collection on the Karakoram Highway near here.

“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government should take notice of toll tax collection here between twin cities of Abbottabad and Mansehra as after the opening of Hazara Motorway to traffic this route is used mostly by students, patients and government employees,” Malik Naveed, a former nazim of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, told a meeting here on Monday. People from different walks of life attended the protest meeting and demanded an immediate suspension of toll tax collection at Khatain Da Galla. Shahzad Shah, a representative of the Hazara transporters union, said they would observe a complete shutdown wheel jam strike if the government didn’t end that toll tax point here. “The local motorists and transporters are paying toll tax at three points within a distance of seven kilometres which is against existing laws,” he pointed out. Haji Shahid, a trader leader, said the Karakoram Highway route between Mansehra and Abbottabad was only used by locals twice and even thrice a day for going to schools and hospitals and for government jobs.

“This toll tax point here was stormed once by people and then the government had disbanded it and we would follow the suit if the government doesn’t pack it up by its own,” he said. Adil Dilawar, a trader, said they would announce the protest schedule after meeting the deputy commissioner seeking his role for an immediate end to toll tax collection.