LAHORE
Despite Govt claims of huge spending on guarding borders free entry and sales of smuggled goods not only continues but is flourishing. A very dangerous trend is the smuggling and sales of used winter tyres which directly endangers lives of users who are unaware of risks in using winter tyres.
According to the data of demand and supply of tyres of all categories including passenger car, light commercial, truck/bus bias and radial, and tractor around 20 per cent is produced locally while the imports are 38 per cent of the total demand. As per estimates a total of 42 per cent are smuggled in the country and this is a big loss to the national economy causing a loss of almost Rs 15 billion of revenues.
Industry experts said due to different climatic conditions in Europe etc the winter tyres are specially manufactured to be used in severe winter when icy conditions prevail. Every winter, summer tyres are taken off (in Europe where severe winter starts) and stored while winter tyres are put on due to icy roads etc.
The compounds used in winter tyres are not suited for climates where temperatures rise in spring leave alone summers. These tyres are highly dangerous for use in Pakistani climatic conditions.
People unknowingly are endangering their lives by using smuggled used winter tyres totally unsuitable for our roads and climatic conditions. This unawareness results in not only their money being misspent but they put their lives at risk, said Haji Javed Rashid. Sources said the FBR, in a recent statement admitted that Afghan Transit Trade facilities are being misused by parties on both sides of the border. Afghan importers are importing excessive number of different items that are then smuggled back into Pakistan and one such item is passenger car tyres. “In the western countries mountains of used tyres are disposed off by paying contractors to take these scrap tyres out of the country. Somehow our smugglers/importers have come in contact with these piles of used and discarded winter tyres and have managed to smuggle them into country.


These tyres have now spread all over the country being sold in hurriedly set up shops with no sign boards, at low prices but giving retailers very good profits” sources said.
Sources also disclosed that Custom also allows imports of used tyres, a banned item, freely giving a lot of Tax Free profits to the importers as well as to the retailers spread all over the Country. Unsuspecting public, with limited disposable incomes go for such tyres not knowing they risk their as well as their family’s lives.