Afghan transit goods being sold in Pakistan
Web posted at: 2/17/2010 6:52:43
Source ::: Internews
KARACHI: The illegal business of selling electronic goods, kitchenware, tyres, black tea and other home appliances imported from different countries for Afghanistan as part of the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) has recently increased in local markets of Pakistan.

For eliminating such smuggling, Pakistan Customs launched a massive operation and during a raid this week, seized electronic items costing Rs16.5m from a store in SITE industrial area.

Pakistan Customs chief media officer Qamar Thalho said yesterday that a team of the customs department headed by a deputy collector raided the warehouse on a tip-off, and recovered 7,000 DVD players worth Rs14m, 180,000 recordable DVDs worth Rs1.8m, 6,000 DVD casings worth Rs300,000 and 13 television sets worth Rs56,000.

In 1965, the Pakistani government had signed an agreement with Afghanistan to facilitate foreign trade by its land-locked neighbour. Under the agreement, goods were to be imported from different countries by sea to Karachi and then transported to Afghanistan by road.

The Pakistani government does not charge any duty or taxes on these items resulting in their low costs. Hence, the smugglers running illegal businesses and selling these items in local markets have abused the agreement.

Due to political influence and corruption, it has been difficult to block such illegal transit items in the local markets.


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