By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
KHYBER: Traders and ex-parliamentarians from Khyber district have unanimously rejected the federal government’s decision to impose taxes on the merged tribal districts, warning that they would launch a joint protest movement across Tirah, Bara, Jamrud and Landikotal if the decision is not withdrawn.
Speaking at a press conference at the district press club Khyber in Landi Kotal on Monday, former federal minister Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi, industrialist Shah Khalid Afridi, Bara Bazaar traders union president Syed Ayaz, Tirah Bazaar president Sher Afghan, Landikotal traders’ leader Rafiuddin and other representatives said the tax measures would place an unbearable economic burden on people already struggling with insecurity, unemployment and a weak business environment.
The speakers said markets across Khyber district remain deserted, industries were shut down, and thousands of families from Tirah have been displaced due to years of conflict. They argued that imposing new taxes under such circumstances was unjust.
They also said that the promises made to the people of the former Fata at the time of its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including commitments related to the NFC Award and other constitutional and financial provisions, have not yet been fulfilled.
The traders maintained that tribal communities had made immense sacrifices for the country but were now being burdened with advance taxes and other levies that would affect both businesses and ordinary citizens. They alleged that the tax legislation was passed due to the lack of effective representation of tribal districts in the federal government and criticized the provincial government for failing to adequately defend the interests of the tribal population.
Industrialist Shah Khalid Afridi called on the government to first restore peace, ensure the protection of life and property, create a favourable investment climate, permanently reopen the Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border for trade and provide immediate relief to closed industries in Khyber and Bara to generate employment opportunities.
He further claimed that the central committee of the Fata Chamber of Commerce had been unable to meet the chief minister for the past year, preventing traders from effectively presenting their concerns.
Bara Bazaar traders union president Syed Ayaz said tribal residents had sold their properties and even women’s jewelry to rebuild their lives after displacement, but the new taxes had imposed an additional financial burden. He said traders were already facing extortion alongside taxation while being deprived of basic public services, warning that the situation could escalate into a civil disobedience movement if the taxes were not withdrawn.
Former federal minister Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi criticized the chief minister’s decision to write a letter to the federal government, calling it an attempt to avoid responsibility rather than resolve the issue. He urged both the provincial and federal governments, including federal ministers, to play an active role in safeguarding the interests of the tribal people.
The traders demanded the immediate withdrawal of all newly imposed taxes on the merged tribal districts. They warned that if their demands were ignored, traders from Tirah, Bara, Jamrud and Landikotal would launch a coordinated protest campaign, holding the federal government responsible for any consequences.
