MURREE:  The residents of the hilly areas have demanded the National Highway Authority (NHA) to exempt them from toll tax at Satra Meel toll plaza.

Talking to Dawn, the residents of Musyari, New  Murree, Alayot, Phagwari and other adjoining areas termed the collection of tax from the locals unjust They demanded the authorities concerned to do away with the tax.

At present the people of Phulgraan, Manga, Salkaither and  Bastal were enjoying the exemption.

Ishaq Abbasi, a resident of Phagwari, said that the local residents had to pay the toll tax, no matter if they had to enter or exit the plaza twice or even thrice a day.

He said locals from hilly areas were paying unjustified toll tax on dual carriage way leading to Murree and adjoining areas since its inauguration. Whenever they move in and out of their native town they are forced to pay the tax, which he termed a violation of their fundamental rights.

Sajid Mahmood, who daily commutes between Murree and Rawalpindi, said dual carriageway provided easy access to Islamabad but  owing to the tax he used old  G.T. Road which increased the distance several times.

He appealed to Federal  Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbsi and the Provincial  Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, the public representatives of the area, to resolve the issue to the benefit of the people of the areas.

In 1998, the residents of Murree and its adjoining  areas have recorded a violent  protest against the collection  of taxes at toll plazas.

During the week-long protest, dozens of people were injured, but they forced the provincial government  to accepted all genuine  demands of the people  and  withdraw all unjustified taxes.

When contacted, focal person for NHA, Ikramus Saqlain said the authority enjoyed the prerogative to impose toll tax at any road of the NHA under an Act of Parliament passed in 1991.

It was the same act under which the NHA came into existence, he said.

When he was asked that a court in British era had exempted Murree from toll tax, he said he was not aware of any such decision.

He said that many people from different cities sent letters to the prime minister seeking withdrawal of the tax but since it was being collected under the law passed by the parliament so every commuter had to pay the tax.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2014