Pakistan

Tribal lawmakers demand of govt to withdraw additional tax

Threaten to put Islamabad on lockdown if demand not met

Khalid Mehmood June 24, 2019

pakistani tribal elder gather to attend a jirga or 039 tribal assembly 039 in the mohmand agency a town bordering afghanistan 24 october 2007 to discuss the ongoing unrest situation pakistan and afghanistan will hold the first meeting of a tribal council early next month to discuss border security amid an upsurge in taliban linked violence some 50 tribal elders from both nations will meet in islamabad to talk about securing stability and trying to make contact with moderate taliban who have agreed to accept the rule of law an official said afp photo str photo credit should read str afp getty images

Pakistani tribal elder gather to attend a Jirga or 'tribal assembly' in the Mohmand Agency,a town bordering Afghanistan, 24 October 2007, to discuss the ongoing unrest situation. Pakistan and Afghanistan will hold the first meeting of a tribal council early next month to discuss border security amid an upsurge in Taliban-linked violence. Some 50 tribal elders from both nations will meet in Islamabad to talk about securing stability and trying to make contact with moderate Taliban who have agreed to accept the rule of law, an official said. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

ISLAMABAD: dErstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) members of parliament have demanded of the federal government to withdraw the additional tax imposed on tribal areas in the budget, warning that if their demands are not met they will put Islamabad on lockdown.

“The Customs Act was never imposed in Malakand Agency, [erstwhile] FATA ever since Pakistan came into being. The act was imposed in 1997. Due to this, these areas were labelled terrorism ground; thus, paralysing us at the international level. People were rendered jobless due to the Customs Act,” said Senator Shah Jee Gul Afridi while addressing the media on Monday.

“No leader or ruler fulfilled the responsibility of creating Pakistan. We, Pashtuns and tribal people, created Pakistan. We created Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan,” said Senator Afridi. “Today, only one law has been imposed all over Pakistan – Naya Pakistan. Even today in the world, where there are less resources and unemployment, tax relief is provided. The government decided not to take taxes for five years, we accepted it despite the fact that we had demanded an exemption of 20 years.”

Mohmand tribal elders threaten to boycott provincial elections

He said that they used to believe whatever Imran Khan used to say or promise. “Today, Imran Khan is making enemies by rendering the Pashtuns jobless. There was no exemption from tax in the electricity bill as we were paying it before also. The promise made to us during the budget is not being kept.”

He appealed to Imran Khan not to snatch food of the Pashtuns.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl MNA Mufti Abdul Shakoor said, “Oppression against tribal people is continuing. Tribal people fought wars with the Englishmen. They sacrificed their lives for real independence. Pakistan came into being through our blood.”

He said if their demands were not met they would put Islamabad on lockdown.

“Political differences aside … we will unite to put an end to the cruel tax for the welfare of the tribal people,” he added. “Khan Sahib fulfil your promises made on the container otherwise our struggle will prove as the last nail in the coffin for your government.”

Latif Afridi threatened to close all international routes leading to Afghanistan if their demands were not met.

“There is already a curfew-like situation in the area … if further taxes are be imposed, factories will shut down.”

He demanded withdrawal of taxes from the budget.