MANSEHRA, June 9: Transporters on Saturday demonstrated in Dassu against the ban on entry of non-custom paid vehicles from Kohistan to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Holding banners and placards, they blocked Karakoram Highway for almost an hour and demanded the immediate lifting of ban.

“The Pakistan government has exempted Kohistan from all taxes, including excise tax on vehicles, and allowed the people of Kohistan and Malakand division to use non-custom paid vehicles but the Gilgit-Baltistan administration is unduly denying us our due right,” All Kohistan Transport Association president Suman Khan told protesters.

Mr Suman said non-custom paid vehicles from Gilgit-Baltistan plied Kohistan and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without hurdle but the same vehicles from Kohistan and Malakand division were denied entry to Gilgit-Baltistan.

He warned the Gilgit-Baltistan administration that non-custom paid vehicles from its region won’t be allowed to enter Kohistan if the said ban was not lifted.

According to him, the Gilgit-Baltistan administration banned the entry of non-custom paid vehicles from Kohistan to its area in March 2011 in line with a court order, but Kohistan and Gilgit-Baltistan administrations later allowed such vehicles to ply the two regions.

“Now, the ban has been restored. We won’t tolerate it at any cost,” he said.

When contacted, district police officer, Kohistan, Abdul Majid Afridi said with the constant of Kohistan DCO, he had taken up the matter with the Gilgit-Baltistan administration.

He said he felt if non-custom paid vehicles from Gilgit-Baltistan were allowed to operate in Kohistan, then the favour should also be extended to such vehicles from Kohistan in Gilgit-Baltistan and if that couldn’t happen, then a ban should be slapped on them in the two regions.