PoGB [Pakistan], Sept 25 – Traders in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) have vowed to continue their sit-in protest at the Sost Dry Port, rejecting the government’s conditional tax exemption plan, Dawn reported Thursday.
The protest, which began in July, has blocked trade at the port over taxation policies and the suspension of customs clearance. Following talks in Islamabad between the federal government, PoGB administration, and local business leaders, authorities announced that imports through the Sost Dry Port would be exempted from key federal taxes—but only if the goods were for local consumption, subject to strict eligibility conditions, and capped at PKR 4 billion annually.
However, trade leader Javed Hussain said the settlement fell short of their demands.
“After the agreement in Islamabad, it was suggested to us to end the protest. But we don’t agree with this and have decided to continue the sit-in,” Hussain said.
He added that setting a cap on imports contradicted PoGB’s legal status and the exemptions historically provided under the Constitution.
“By setting a limit on imports, decision-makers have failed to resolve the fundamental dispute,” he said, noting that no statutory regulatory order (SRO) had yet been issued to clear the containers stuck for months.
Hussain warned traders could move to a “Plan C” if the government failed to address their concerns fully.
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