MURREE: Residents of Murree Town’s hilly areas have demanded that the National Highway Authority (NHA) stop collecting toll tax from local residents at the Satra Mila toll plaza in Pulgarah, on the M75.

Residents from Musyari, New Murree Alyaot Phagwari and the adjoining areas told Dawn they believed the collection of tax from locals to be unrealistic and unjustified.

The residents demanded that the authorities eliminate the toll tax, and called the collection of toll tax a violation of their fundamental rights.

According to an NHA contractor, the authority has only exempted Pulgarah village from paying the toll tax.

Phagwari local Ishaq Abbasi criticised the collection of tax, asking why locals have to pay the tax when they travel from their hometowns to the capital. He said locals from the hills have been paying an unjustified toll tax on Islamabad-Murree Dual Carriageway leading to Murree since its inauguration.

Locals move in and out of their hometowns two or three times a day, and are forced to pay the tax each time, he said. Mr Abbasi called the system an injustice to people who have surrendered hundreds of acres of land for the existing road to be built.

According to national and international rules, local residents are exempt from paying toll tax while travelling within a city, and the tax is collected from those either entering or leaving a particular city, Sajid Mahmood, another routine commuter, said.

He said the dual carriageway makes the capital easily accessible, but he has to travel on the GT Road, which takes longer, because of the toll tax.

Murree Assistant Commissioner Arif Ali, when contacted, said the tehsil administration had “nothing to do with this toll tax collection”, saying the matter was federal.

NHA public relations director Kashif Zaman said the NHA has not exempted anyone but ambulances, fire brigade vehicles, army vehicles, judges and Motorway police vehicles.

He said because of the high maintenance costs in the hilly areas, it is not possible for the NHA to exempt locals.

Under British rule, a local from Khanitaak in Murree fought a case in court and received a verdict declaring that Muree residents were exempt from paying toll tax. When asked, Mr Zaman said he was not aware of any court decision exempting Murree residents from toll taxes.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2017