A petition was deposited before the High Court of Peshawar contesting the recent increase in highway tolls, arguing that this decision is illegal and exercises an unfair burden for shuttle.
The petition, subject by ASIF lawyer Ali Shah and others from Charsadda, appoints the federal government, the National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of Communications as respondents.
The petitioners argue that the government’s decision to impose a 100% toll increase on vehicles without M-TAG is illegal.
The toll hike, notified on January 31, follows two previous increases in 2024, which increased the toll of Charsadda-Peshawar from RS30 to Rs40, then to Rs60.
The petition maintains that the government should focus on the facilitation of citizens rather than imposing additional financial pressure.
The court was invited to suspend the increase in the toll until a final decision was made.
The toll tax for GB tourists proposed
Earlier, the federal minister for privatization, the investment and communications council, Abdul Aleem Khan, held distinct meetings with CM from GB, Gulbar Khan and the Azerbaijan ambassador to Pakistan, Khazar Farhadov.
The two meetings focused on economic development, investment opportunities and infrastructure improvement in Pakistan, a press release said. During his meeting with the chief minister Gulbar Khan, Aleem Khan discussed the expansion of the NHA in GB and its crucial role in regional development.
To further improve infrastructure, Aleem Khan proposed the introduction of a toll tax for tourists, with funds collected dedicated to improving the road infrastructure of the NHA in the region. However, he assured that local residents would be exempt from this tax.
