SIALKOT: Advisor to Prime Minister for Commerce, Textile, Industries, Production and Investment Abdul Razzaq Dawood says the government will soon abolish all the duties and taxes on the import of the raw materials.

He was addressing a meeting of the Sialkot exporters at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Sunday. SCCI President Khawaja Masud Akhtar presided over the meeting. SCCI SVP Waqas Akram Awan, Riazuddin Sheikh and the government officials were present.

Mr Dawood said the business community of the country should learn from the export culture of Sialkot to boom their exports. He said the government was planning and making policies to boost industry, besides taking business community into confidence for complete implementation of the policies.

Mr Dawood said the issue of five percent regulatory duty on the import of polyester yarn and seven percent anti-dumping duty would be resolved this month. He announced full support for establishment of a special economic zone at Sialkot.

The advisor to the PM said the role of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was being redefined to only taxes collection from levying taxes.

“I have sent a summery to the government under which the FBR would not levy any taxes directly as the FBR’s role would be tax collection only,” he revealed.

RAPED: The Muradpur police arrested the owner of a photo studio on charge of raping a young model.

The victim, belonging to Nankana Sahib, told the police that the suspect had called her to Sialkot from Nankana Sahib for a photo shoot for a fabric company at his studio at Gohadpur locality of Sialkot and raped her.

The police registered a rape case against the suspect and arrested him.

KIDNAPPED: The Head Marala police failed to recover the Hindu girl who was allegedly kidnapped by three suspects over a marriage row in village Rawal Kukkar-Bajwat five days back.

Kamal Kumar, the father of the victim Raj Bari (26), said a local youth, Saifullah, wanted to marry his daughter who was a teacher in a private school. After they refused the proposal due to different religions, Saifullah and his three accomplices kidnapped Raj Bari from their house on Nov 28. On his complaint, the police registered a case against four nominated suspects, including Saifullah, Riasat Ali, Muhammad Iqbal, Sajid Hussain. However, they could not recover the girl.

The local Hindu community protested against the incident, demanding arrest of the suspects and recovery of the girl.

In separate incidents, two married women were kidnapped in Daska tehsil.

Unidentified armed suspects kidnapped labourer Sikandar’s wife, Maria (22), at gunpoint from her house in village Bhaano Pindi-Motra.

In village Mundeyki Goraya-Daska, unidentified suspects kidnapped a married woman, Muqadas Bibi, while she was shopping in the bazaar of village Mundeyki Goraya, tehsil Daska. Police have registered separate cases.

ARRESTED: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested nine deportees from Turkey on their arrival at Sialkot International Airport.

It sent the suspects, Aamir Jamil, Qasim Ali, Muhammad Idrees, Muhammad Bilal, Ghulam Murtaza, Saadi Ahmed, Rizwan Ali, Ameer Hamza and Abid Ali behind the bars after registering separate cases against them.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2018