They demanded that the goods which cost millions of rupees seized by the customs intelligence from the traders should be immediately returned and the unjust harassment of the traders should be stopped and warned that, the traders would be compelled to stage a strong protest which would include, the siege of the offices of customs intelligence, FBR and other agencies.

These views were expressed by the president of Anjuman-e- tajran Balochistan Abdul Rahim Kakar, Hazrat Ali Achakzai, Yasin Mengal, Haji Abdullah, Haji Saadullah Achakzai, Alam Khan Kakar, and others during the protest sit-in in front of the Custom intelligence office on Tuesday.

The speakers of the protest said due to the non-availability of factories and the destruction of agriculture in Balochistan, there is no source of employment and the only source of employment for the people of the province is related to trade and border, however, due to the closure of border for the past several months, millions of people have become unemployed.

They further said that after paying taxes from Afghanistan and Iran via the Chaman border and Taftan border, the traders of Balochistan stock the goods in the storerooms in Quetta city, similarly, the goods coming from Punjab and Sindh are also stocked in the storerooms.

They added that shopkeepers are supplied goods through small vehicles on a daily basis but Customs intelligence, FBR, and others consider these goods as booty and seize them.

They said that the customs intelligence, FBR, and other agencies should not consider traders as ownerless.

Earlier, a protest rally was also taken out against the raids on traders’ storerooms and shops which took the form of a sit-in after reaching the office of customs intelligence in Jinnah town passing through various streets.