PML-N questions Rs4b ethanol duty write-off

Ahsan Iqbal says PTI govt running corruption ring behind façade of transparency, accountability

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal has asked the chief justice of Pakistan and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman to take notice of the Rs4 billion waiver offered by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Punjab government to ‘blue-eyed sugar mill owners’.

“After the Rs300 billion GIDC [Gas Infrastructure Development Cess] attempt was thwarted by the opposition and media, the PTI Punjab government has silently tried to dent the already depleting national revenue by writing off Rs4billion duty on ethanol,” Iqbal said on Tuesday.

He was addressing a press conference at the National Press Club along with the PML-N Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb and leader Shaista Pervez Malik.

Iqbal said the former PML-N government levied the duty despite pressure from the mills. The duty was challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the Supreme Court but was upheld by both the courts.

He said the Supreme Court had referred the case back to the LHC where the case is still pending. He said the court had decided that the Rs1 billion collected under this head would continue to be deposited with the court till the final decision in this regard.

“However, against all legal obligations and national revenue interest, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar constituted a four-member committee to approve a waiver of this tax

“When two of the four members refused to sign the document, the CM rushed the unsigned motion through the Punjab Assembly and got it approved.

“Not only did he approve awarding waiver of Rs4 billion already collected under the ethanol tax, but he also annulled future collection of the revenue, depriving the government of Rs1b annual revenue,” he said.

The PML-N leader said the PTI government is so ‘committed’ to withdrawing every relief from the most deserving section of society “but when it comes to their rich friends”, they do not think twice before offering billions of rupees as a relief.

“The facility of complimentary diagnostics tests at hospitals has been stopped; medicines are no more available; the public welfare programmes have been slashed in the name of ending the subsidy.

“But, at the same time, the corrupt government has no problem giving billions of rupees in subsidies to their rich blue-eyed boys. Pakistan is not being run by [PM] Imran Khan Niazi, it is being run by and for his friends,” Ahsan said.

He also condemned the PM’s statement that Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies trained al Qaeda and said Imran Khan is a threat to national security. “Even former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is a better spokesperson for Pakistan over the issue than the so-called prime minister. Hillary said the US-trained al Qaeda and left Pakistan and Afghanistan in a mess after the Soviet-Afghan war.

“This is the official position of Pakistan on the issue. From his statement in Iran to this interview, Imran Khan is the source of worry for the country and is a foreign policy disaster, unfit to represent the country at such forums,” he said.