Opposition vows to boycott Parliament till new taxes are dropped

Khursheed Shah says imposition of additional taxes will make Pakistan a slave to the IMF

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leaders announced on Tuesday that they would boycott Parliament on account of taxes levied on petroleum products, vowing not to return till the increased general sales tax is dropped, Express News reported.

Addressing the media outside Parliament,  Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah said introducing mini-budgets and imposing taxes would not do the government any good.

"All sectors are being affected by government policies and the government should focus on building a stronger Parliament," Shah said.

"Such taxes are not even imposed in countries in Europe or North America. For this very reason, they should not be levied in Pakistan," he added.

The government on Monday increased tax rates on a wide range of products, including imports, professional services, luxury goods and furnace oil.



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The additional taxes will pave way for the IMF releasing the sixth loan tranche of $158 million, which according to Shah will make Pakistan a slave to the IMF. This is the third time in three months that the government has had to impose additional taxes which exceed those imposed in the Budget Act for 2015.

Shah urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to strengthen Parliament, which according to him was the only way to strengthen the country. The taxes which should be levied through an act of Parliament are imposed through a statutory regulatory order for which Shah threatened to sue the government on Monday.