Misplaced utility: Misuse of official tractors goes unchecked in AJK
Misplaced utility: Misuse of official tractors goes unchecked in AJKThe vehicles are exempted from customs duty, token tax, route permits and fitness certificates to facilitate fruit and vegetable producers, but owners of these vehicles are instead using them for commercial purposes such as transportation of water, bricks, sand and mud for construction.
“Commercial use of these tractors and tractor-trolleys is unlawful,” said AJK Transport Authority Secretary Azad Adil Mahmood Khan when asked by The Express Tribune to comment over the issue.
Khan said that Transport Minister Tahir Khokhar has already directed the divisional and district administrations as well as the police to book owners of the tractors and tractor-trolleys being misused.
He maintained it is the responsibility of the district traffic police to impound the vehicles.Khan stated that there are over 2,500 registered tractors plying in AJK, of which 1,441 are being operated in Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimbher districts, and the remaining in Muzaffarabad, Rawlakot, Bagh and Palandri.
When contacted, Sheikh Pervez Barkat, who operates a tractor-trolley in Mirpur, admitted that the vehicles are exclusively meant for agricultural purposes.
However, he said that since there was no substantial work in the agriculture sector, owners have been constrained to use the vehicles for commercial purposes.
A local police officer, requesting not to be named, said the traffic police launched a campaign to discourage misuse of tractors and tractor trolleys, but it bore no fruit as most of the vehicles belong to influential people, including political bigwigs, who become a hurdle in the way of law enforcers.
Inconvenience to locals
Taimur Khan, a university student, said the tractors cause environmental pollution due to the large amount of smoke and noise they produce.
“Patients, elderly people and children can better explain the agony they face when the tractors pass through their homes, billowing smoke and creating immense noise,” he added.
Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Commission Chairman Humayun Zaman Mirza had a similar point of view. He suggested that tractors should not be allowed to ply within residential areas given how much smoke and noise they produce.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE MAKING LIVING THIS WAY,CAN YOU PROViDE JOBS TO THESE PEOPLES,THINK SOME THING BETTER
every thing going unlawful in Pakistani occupied Kashmir even the government, because there some puppets of Zardari staying there no real representation of Kashmiri youth. every department looting the public, no honesty , no punctuality corruption and bribery are main source of officials, drunken persons running the daily affairs characterless persons saying that they are Representatives of people. people must take notice of this otherwise they can sell the Kashmir even. if their is no religion there is wildness and present government consists on non-religion and drunken people so you can say these are just like wild beast when they will hungry they can eat any thing no Halal Noharam only money by hook or crook.
Deforestation is now a big problem facing Pakistani occupied Kashmir. every where in Kashmir some Mafias and gangsters cutting the trees with coordination of local corrupt officials, when the world and UN is spending millions of dollars for forestation. We informed too many times the local authorities in Kotli and Sehnsa forest dept but no body take notice. so some one tell us where we do complain. Kashmir is quickly loosing her beauty and ornament because the trees and greenery is Kashmir,s beauty and ornaments. we facing a crises because the timber mafia has a big profit in smuggling the pine trees to Pakistan also the forest officials of government are involved these type of National crimes. Please start a awareness movement to save the Kashmir Forests and greenery even some culprits cut and sold the historical Banyans trees, that was a History.