MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 2: Intra-Kashmir traders staged a rally amid their token hunger strike which entered third consecutive day here on Monday against the alleged bullying and intimidation by Pakistan Customs.

However, ironically, the strikers alleged that no representative of federal or AJK government had “formally contacted them” as yet notwithstanding the sensitivity of the matter.

“None from the two governments in Muzaffarabad and Islamabad has made a formal contact with us. They seem to be uninterested in sustenance of this confidence building measure (CBM),” said Advocate Pervez Ahmed, a spokesperson for the LoC Traders’ Action Committee.

The traders had gone on a token hunger strike on Saturday, a day after pulling up their nearly 120 loaded trucks along the Jhelum Valley road and staging a demonstration against the alleged highhandedness of the officials of Pakistan customs.

On Monday, they again assembled near their stationed trucks from where they paraded through the main thoroughfare chanting slogans against the “elements bent upon frustrating the trade between divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Fearing that the demonstrators could head towards the nearby UN Military Observers’ office, the authorities had deployed large number of police at a certain point to forestall any such move. The rally ended outside press club where its leaders delivered speeches. Many demonstrators lay on the ground in an expression of their indignation.

Advocate Pervez told Dawn that AJK Trade and Travel Authority (TATA) Director-general Brig (retd) Mohammad Ismail had contacted them and asked to move their trucks (to down-country markets) without any fear of interception or confiscation by the customs officials.

However, he said, “We have told him plainly that either the customs should levy duty or the authorities should allow us send these goods back to occupied Kashmir.”

“We are ready to pay duty but we cannot give inducement to customs officials every now and then,” he said.

He said he had also told the DG TATA that if the customs would not intercept their pulled up vehicles then why they hadn’t released those 9 impounded vehicles laden with the same stuff. The traders are expected to stage a rally towards the office of AJK prime minister on Tuesday (today).