AMJAD ALI SHAH

PESHAWAR: Traders of Kharkhano market Peshawar have voiced concern over illegal crackdown on their shops by a team of Customs department and warned they will observe shutter-down and start protest, if the confiscated cloths along with cash were not return to them immediately.

Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club here on Monday, President of Tajir Insaf district Peshawar, Shahid Khan said that a team of Customs Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) in support of police had conducted a raid in last week on a Haroon market in Kharkhano, without any prior intimation and seized cloth from 10 shops and also took away huge amount of cash from there.

Flanked by the Haroon market president, Mujeebullah Khan, Palace market president Inayatullah, trader Shakoor Khan, leader of Tajir Insaf district Peshawar Dr Iftikhar Hussain, Tariq Jalil and others, he justified that the Bara markets were established various cities in the country.

Shahid Khan warned that if the Customs department didn’t return back the confiscated cloth and cash amount, they will take legal action against them.

Mujeebullah said that there was no justification of crackdown on shops in Kharkhano market. He said the business activities have already slow down due to ongoing work of Bus Rapid Transport Project in Peshawar couple with excessive electricity load shedding and poor law and order situation in the province. While, he said the government steps would further push their businesses to standstill. Dr Iftikhar Hussain said the law should be equal for everyone. He alleged that the Customs personnel were involved in taking bribe from smugglers on various points in the city areas. He said instead of conducting raids on shops, the Customs department should take action against their corrupt officials to eradicate the menace of smuggling in the province.

It is pertinent mention here that the Customs team raided Karkhano market and recovered huge quantity of non-Customs paid cloth and confiscated four loaded trucks of cloths. The cloth was brought to the market from Afghanistan via Torkham border and later was stored in Haroon Market Karkhano Hayatabad for onward supply.

The Customs officials shifted all the cloth in four loaded trucks to Peshawar Customs House where the accused persons are being interrogated. The net value of seized cloth is Rs 30 million.