ISLAMABAD: The Walton Tobacco Company has demanded justice from the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government, alleging that the company has been illegally sealed before Eid, resulting in sudden unemployment of over 400 employees.

"We urge the authorities to immediately open the company and restore livelihoods of hundreds of workers" Arif Zia, spokesperson for Walton Tobacco Company said during a press conference on Sunday.

He was accompanied by Muhammad Ali and Omar Ahmed.

They told the media their company was the highest taxpayers in Kashmir, contributing Rs 240 million every month.

They highlighted that their company have been raided illegally, products seized, and were threatened with serious consequences by the authorities.

We are doing business and paying taxes for last 18 years, he said.

The AJK authorities have not issued any show cause notices to the company nor conducted income tax audit of tax records, but suddenly sealed all offices without fulfillment of legal formalities.

The company representatives said that no law enforcement agencies were taking action against illegal cigarette sales in the markets.

They claimed that the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has conducted enforcement action to merely show performance and subsequently shut down their all offices.

"We will be forced to relocate businesses elsewhere if this trend continues," they said.

They added that if we have passed excise check posts without showing relevant invoices of cigarettes consignments, then we would be held responsible. On the other hand, police seized trucks during their transportation and there is no whereabouts of so-called 200 trucks.

Instead of taking action against smuggling and illicit cigarettes, the AJK authorities are taking action against the taxpaying company, they added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024