MNAs snub calls for taxing farm income

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers on both sides of the political divide in the National Assembly appeared to have lost interest in the debate: Most of them stayed away from the assembly session.

Some opposition members, however, urged the government on Thursday to review its security plan to save the country from what they warned could be a “complete economic disaster”.

On the third day of the budget debate, more members came forward to snub calls for taxing the agricultural income, arguing that farmers “are already heavily taxed”.

A woman member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) criticised the army chief for what she saw his “overwhelming leaning towards American security officials”.

Aftab Sherpao, the head of his own splinter group of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), said that even the government allies had not been taken into confidence on the budget.

Shepao asked the government to revisit its security policy to attract more foreign direct investment.

He demanded special incentive for the industry in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa besides privatisation of public sector enterprises running in loss.

He called for immediate reconstitution of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) as it has been tasked to restructure important national institutions like Pakistan Railways and PIA.

He also demanded of the government to establish a trust to look after the families of those killed while fighting terrorism or in the acts of terrorism.

Tehmina Daultana of the PML-N observed that America was hell bent on destabilising Pakistan.

She said the budget was not indigenous, but it had been brought here from abroad.

Daultana remarked: “We have all the resources which we need to survive but we don’t have what is badly required; the will on part of the government to pull the country out of prevailing crisis.”

Humayun Saifullah Khan of a dissident group of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, asked the government to broaden tax net to overcome financial problems.

Zafar Beg Bhittani criticised the prime minister for “more allocations for his hometown Multan than the entire tribal region”.

Yousuf Talpur observed terrorists were not the real targets of the government. Instead it is actually targeting farmers who are already paying more than 11 taxes under various heads.

Nawab Yousuf Talpur of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) ridiculed those who thought the agriculture sector is not taxed at all in Pakistan.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2010.