Shehbaz slams government for unleashing ‘tsunami of taxes’

Says govt is 'succumbing' to IMF's 'impractical conditions' to the detriment of people

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday assailed the government for unleashing a “tsunami of inflation and taxes” on the common man, saying an additional tax of Rs225 billion would prove to be catastrophic for the country’s economy.

In a statement, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly said it was deplorable that instead of making efforts to provide relief to the poor people bearing the brunt of the ongoing inflation, the government was bent upon bombarding them with further price hikes in essential items.

“Those succumbing to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) impractical conditions are forcing the nation to commit suicide,” Shehbaz said, regretting that the cotton exporters and millers were in distress these days.

The PML-N leader said that an additional tax of Rs225 billion would wreak havoc on the country’s economy and intensify unemployment and inflation.

‘NAB ordinance attack on judiciary’

Terming the newly promulgated NAB ordinance a “worst black law”, the opposition leader said the amendments were not only an attack on parliament but also on the independence of the judiciary.

Read Salaried class may be exempted from further taxes

He said rather than bringing the legislation in parliament, the government opted for doing it through the ordinance, adding that it reflected the ruling party’s “unconstitutional and undemocratic attitude”.

Shehbaz said that by promulgating the ordinance, the government had sought to save its own skin and deprive state institutions of their independence and constitutional mandates.

“The very fact that the government has introduced some amendments to the NAB ordinance shows it does not trust parliament,” he said, adding that the ordinance was a step towards eliminating whatever democracy was left there in the country. “The government is slowly introducing ‘dictatorship’ in its [existing structure’s] place.”

The opposition leader vowed that he would not allow the government to “snatch powers of state institutions” as laid down in the constitution.

On Thursday, the opposition vowed to challenge the NAB Ordinance at every forum “with full force” and submitted a requisition notice to the National Assembly secretariat for convening the session of the lower house of parliament to discuss the issue.