De-sealing of Walton Tobacco demanded to restore employment of 400 workers

Mirpur: Walton Tobacco Company said that illegally sealing of company before Eid left over 400 workers unemployed and demanded the Azad Kashmir government for action.

Addressing a press conference at Kashmir Press Club, Walton Tobacco Company’s spokesperson Arif Zia urged the authorities concerned to immediately open the company to restore livelihood of hundreds of employees.

The spokesperson was also accompanied by Muhammad Ali and Omar Ahmed on the occasion.

They informed the media that Walton Tobacco was the highest taxpayers in Kashmir, contributing Rs 240 million every month.

The company has been raided illegally, products seized, and were threatened with serious consequences by the authorities, they highlighted.

They were of the view that we were doing business and paying taxes for last 18 years.

The representatives of company said that law enforcement agencies were not taking action against illegal cigarette sales in the markets.

The alleged that the AJK government has orchestrated this drama to save its sinking boat, and shut down all offices.

"We will be forced to relocate businesses elsewhere if this trend continues," they said.

The authorities have threatened them with severe consequences. This was a bribe collection operation; no evidence exist that shows where tax theft was happening or who was selling stolen goods.

The company representatives explained that the trucks seized by the police on the highway from the excise check post were arrested; if they passed without invoices, they were offenders.