KOHAT: Grand Businessmen Alliance rejected increase in the toll tax on Pak-Japan tunnel and demanded exemption for local business community and residents.

In a press statement, alliance president Ameer Khan Afridi said that National Highway Authority (NHA) had asked the local land owners and residents a place for the construction of toll plaza and tunnel against free usage of the facility by showing computerised identity cards while traveling from both sides- Darra Adamkhel and Kohat.

He criticised the gradual enhancement of toll tax from Rs 50 to Rs 130 and said that thousands of local people used the tunnel twice a day while going to Peshawar and coming back to Kohat, thus paying Rs260 toll tax per vehicle.

In the statement, Mr Afridi urged the commissioner, deputy commissioner and NHA authorities to address the grievances of local traders and residents and provide them relief in toll tax and social

responsibility funds from national and foreign oil and gas companies working in the area.

The business community leader warned of staging traders’ protest sit-in, jointly with the local residents, if the quarters concerned failed to accede to the demands.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2024