Chinese men protest customs duty on cellphones — by lying on floor at Islamabad airport

Published January 25, 2019
A Chinese passengers lies on the floor in protest against the customs duty at the Islamabad International Airport on Friday. — Photo by author
A Chinese passengers lies on the floor in protest against the customs duty at the Islamabad International Airport on Friday. — Photo by author

Two Chinese passengers on Friday found a unique way to register their protest against the customs duty they were made to pay for bringing in several cellphones: lying on the floor at the Islamabad International Airport.

The episode, which made for an interesting spectacle, took place after the two Chinese men – Lian Zhehfu and Lei Zhentao — landed in Islamabad from Urumqi via China Southern Airlines flight CZ6007.

After exiting the aircraft, the two men were stopped at a customs counter. Because they were carrying six cellphones, they were made to pay $285 in duties and taxes on four of the handsets.

As per the 'mobile tax policy' announced by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government, foreign visitors and travellers returning to Pakistan can bring in one handset duty-free; for any additional devices, they must pay the applicable taxes to avail service in the country beyond 30 days.

See: The how-to of registering mobile devices for people returning to (or visiting) Pakistan

But after paying the amount, the two Chinese passengers lay on the exit gate of the international arrival lounge to protest the duty they were charged. They took the stance that because they travel to Pakistan several times a year, they should not have to pay the duty each time they bring in more than one cellphone.

The pair ended their protest only after Airport Security Force personnel informed them that their concerns would be forwarded to the relevant ministry.

Opinion

Editorial

Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...
By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...