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Authorities lift ban on import of animals from Afghanistan

By Our Correspondent 2017-08-25
LANDI KOTAL: Te authorities on Thursday lifted ban on import of sheep and goats from Afghanistan and imposed a token tax on entry ofevery animal to Pakistan via Torlcham border.

Officials said that political administration would collect Rs500 as agency tax on every sheep and goat as their entry to Pakistan would be legalised through the main border crossing.

They said that sale and purchase of all the animals imported from Afghanistan would only be allowed within the territorial jurisdiction of Khyber Agency.

The transportation of such animals to other parts of the country would not be allowed.

`The activity is now legalised with imposition of agency tax as livestock dealers were not paying any tax prior to imposition of ban few days ago,` of ficials said.

They added that the decision was made in the larger interest of people as Eidul Azha was round the corner while local cattle marketswearing a deserted look due to imposition of ban.

The tax collected from livestock dealers will be deposited with the political administration. Officials said that no other tax would be imposed on livestock dealers in any other checkpost in Khyber Agency.

Meanwhile, livestock dealers and restaurant owners rejected imposition of Rs500 tax on every sheep and goat, saying they had demanded lifting of ban without any condition.

They said that thousands of sheep and goats were stranded at the Afghan side of Torkham border and it would be almost impossible for most of them to arrange the tax money as the stranded animals needed to be shifted to market immediately owing to greater demand for Eidul Azha.

They said that they used to pay a nominal tax of Rs1,500 per truck to the border authorities prior to imposition of the unilateral ban. The new tax, they argued, was an additional financial burden on them.

The dealers said that they had expressed their willingness to pay a maximum of Rs100 to Rs150 per stranded animal as they feared death and illness of cattle. `We do not submit to payment of this tax as it is unjust and beyond our resources,` they added.