About two million clearing agents, border agents, transporters and Pakistan Railways staff, have threatened to stage protest demonstration against the government, if Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) is implemented in its present form.
"We are going to take extreme step against the government, if APTTA is not revised specially with reference to transport of containers," said Abdul Hameed Gurwara, one of the action committee members of APTTA.
The committee met with senior officials of Commerce Ministry last week and briefed them about the financial loss to the local transport sector due to irrationally drafted APTTA. "We have conveyed all our concerns to the Ministry and we hope issues will be resolved. In case the government does not revises the agreement, two million affectees will stage a protest demonstration in front of the Parliament House," said Gurwara, while he talking to Business Recorder from Peshawar. He was of the view that the government had given the contract of containers inspection and transportation to multinational companies due to which the business of local transport companies in Karachi, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has almost wound up.
"We have requested the government to give the containers transport business back to local companies and Pakistan Railways in the supervision of customs so that they do their business as usual," he continued.
Pakistan has recently suspended operations relating to APTTA and Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Rules for 60 days to defer implementation of the relevant provisions of the agreement/rules regarding collection of customs securities/ insurance guarantees from Afghan importers.
In this connection, the FBR issued here instructions to the Model Customs Collectorates (MCCs) of Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta .
Afghan importers are allowed to continue to clear their transit consignments without submission of customs securities and insurance guarantees etc for 60 days'' period, starting from July 7, 2011. During the 60 days, the customs department of the FBR would not collect any customs security from the Afghan importers on goods for clearance of stuck up containers at Karachi Port. In this regard, only relevant provisions of the APTTA and Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Rules have been suspended for 60 days period.
The FBR instructions said that consequent upon the approval of the Prime Minister, in order to help the brotherly people of Afghanistan, to defer the operation of Article 3 of Protocol 3 of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), 2010, the Board is pleased to defer the operation of provisions of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Rules, notified vide SRO 601(I)/2011, pertaining to Customs security for goods for a period of 60 days, starting from July 7, 2011.