GILGIT: A shutter-down strike was observed in various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday to express solidarity with protesting traders of Sost who have been staging a protest sit-in, blocking the Karakoram High­way for the last 40 days for acceptance of their demands. The protest has led to the suspension of trade activities between China and Pakistan.

The traders have been demanding what the GB cabinet had suggested to the federal cabinet.

The GB cabinet asked the federal government to declare GB a non-tariff area and exempt the people of GB from collection of sales tax and income tax on goods being imported from China and ensure speedy clearance of consignments at Sost Dry Port under the amnesty scheme announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

On the call of Anjuman Tajiran of GB, the shutter-down strike was observed in Hunza, Nagar, Ghanche, Gilgit and Skardu. All markets, shops and business centres remained closed in these areas.

Speaking at a press conference after the GB cabinet meeting, Special Assistant to CM on Commerce Muhammad Ali Quaid, along with GB home minister Shams Lone and others said the GB cabinet discussed traders’ protest.

Protesters want Gilgit-Baltistan declared ‘non-tariff’ area, seek exemption from sales and income tax

During a recent visit to GB, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced one-time amnesty scheme for stuck-up consignments imported from China stuck at Sost Dry Port and constituted a committee led by Awais Leghari to settle the issue. The committee sought recommendations from the GB government to resolve the issue.

Muhammad Ali Quaid said that GB traders and local residents have been demanding exemption of Sales Tax, Income Tax on items imported from China through Khunjerab Pass.

He said this is not only the demand of the GB traders but also the demand of the GB people, adding that collection of federal taxes from the region is illegal as the status of the region has not been decided by the federal government so far.

He said last year, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had issued an SRO 1193 which already declared GB a non-tariff area and the GB government recommended the committee constituted by the prime minister to declare GB a non-tariff area and exempt its people from income tax and sales tax.

The special assistant said the GB cabinet also asked the committee to remove SRO 499 under which cases were registered on goods imported from China.

The GB cabinet also recommended the speedy clearance of the consignments stuck-up the port for the last 10 months and removal of cases registered against traders.

Speaking at a press conference in Sost, Pak-China Tajir Etihad Action Committee leaders said the peaceful protest movement of traders would continue till the acceptance of their demands. They said that economic exploitation of the GB people would not be accepted.

They said that over 200 consignments of goods were stuck at the Sost Dry Port and several of them have expired and damaged due to rains as the goods have been kept in the open area of the port. Besides, they said, port charges and other expenditures on them were increasing daily, causing losses of billions of rupees to GB traders.

Despite the sit-in on the highway, protesters are allowing passengers travelling between Pakistan and China through the Khunjerab Pass, but they have blocked all kinds of business transportation.

The opposition has appealed to the federal government to settle the issue before it expands to other areas.

Abbas Mir, one of the organisers, said the protesters would welcome any development at the GB and federal levels regarding the settlement of the issue.

He said collection of taxes from the GB region was illegal and unconstitutional adding that the people’s demand was clear is: “No taxation without representation”.

He said the GB had been deprived of its economic rights after the closure of business activities between Pakistan and China through the Khunjerab Pass.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2025