BAJAUR: Traders and industrialists have expressed deep concern over the inclusion of federal taxes in electricity bills and announced that they would not pay the bills until the taxes were withdrawn.

Addressing a news conference at the Bajaur Press Club here the other day, they claimed that the Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) had included huge taxes in the electricity bills of industrial units and shops in recent months as part of federal taxes.

Those who spoke at the presser included Bajaur Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Lali Shah, Khar Traders Association president Wajid Ali Shah, All Bajaur Marble Factories Association president Eng Riaz Khan, All Bajaur Flour Mills Association president Shah Wahid, and representatives of All Bajaur Ice Factories Association.

They said the practice of including such taxes in electricity bills under the metering system was introduced in July. However, they said no one was ready to pay the electricity bills as the authorities had included more than 36pc in taxes.

Terming the addition of such taxes in the electricity bills of small industries as economic murder of the business community, they noted that a monthly electricity bill of Rs500,000 to Rs700,000 included taxes of Rs250,000 to Rs300,000.

They said such huge taxes would lead to closure of industrial units.

Criticising the federal government, the leaders said that on the one hand, the tribal districts had been deprived of the Rs100 billion annual funds promised under the 25th Constitutional Amendment; on the other hand, the federal government had started imposing different direct taxes in the region which, they said, had been exempted from all kinds of taxes till 2028.

They asked the federal government to realise the difficulties being faced by residents of tribal districts due to the war on terrorism and withdraw all taxes in the region, as was done by the provincial government recently.

They also warned of launching a civil disobedience movement by not depositing electricity bills if the taxes were not withdrawn. They also slammed the members of parliament from tribal districts and Malakand division for not raising the issue in the legislature.

During the press conference, Khar Traders Association president Wajid Ali Shah tore up an electricity bill in protest.

They also demanded that the federal government provide soft loans for traders and industrialists to promote trade and industry in tribal districts.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026