PDP chief criticizes IIOJK IT Deptt for harassing cross LoC trade businessmen
Srinagar: The Peoples Democratic Party President, Mehbooba Mufti, has strongly criticized the Income Tax Department of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir for harassing businessmen involved in trade across the Line of Control (LoC), which was suspended in 2019.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mehbooba Mufti addressing a press conference in Srinagar over the issue, said the traders associated with the cross-LoC trade were in distress, and facing hardships.
“The traders associated with the cross-LoC trade came to meet me, they were in distress due to the closure of trade routes. Since the closure of the routes, those people are unemployed now,” Mufti said.
She alleged the traders were being “harassed” by the Income Tax Department with notices demanding tax payments for transactions that were non-monetary and did not involve any taxation at the time.
“This trade was based on a barter system and was free trade without any scope for tax that time. But, for some time now, they are being troubled by the Income Tax department. They have been facing IT raids, notices seeking GST, and demand for tax for the whole trade during all those years. Where will they get the tax?” she added.
She also wrote a letter to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah and sought resumption of the cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade and bus service in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the letter she wrote the cross-LoC trade and travel has been the biggest confidence-building measure (CBM) ever between India and Pakistan and had opened new vistas of peace-building in Jammu and Kashmir and the subcontinent that has the potential of bringing sustainable peace to the region if carried forward.
The cross-LoC bus service between Uri, in the Baramulla district of J-K, and Muzaffarabad, in PoJK, was started in 2005 and was followed by the opening of cross-LoC trade through Uri and Poonch in 2008.
“The trade and the bus service should be resumed. The traders should be provided with banking service, communication and other things so that there is transparency. If you install body scanners, you will come to know what is in the trucks which will rule out any apprehensions of what is in the trucks,” she said.
