QWP chief for adopting austerity steps as no relief for poor in budget

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao while commenting on the federal budget said that it brought no relief for the poor, adding the government should adopt austerity measures instead of taxing the salaried-class and the poor, who were already grappling with record inflation.

Speaking at a press conference at Watan Kor after a meeting of the central and provincial office-bearers of the party on Saturday opposed the imposition of tax on air fares of the people working in the Gulf States, saying that they were the ones who sent billions of dollars of remittances so the government should facilitate them.

Aftab Sherpao said imposing GST was regressive taxation and taxing the baby milk would affect the children. He said the government prepared the budget on the diktats of the International Monetary Fund, which was calling the shots.

The QWP leader said all political parties had expressed reservations about the federal budget. He said new taxes were imposed on the people without considering their plight. He said the government introduced taxes worth Rs1500 billion but it was raised to Rs1700 billion when the budget was passed.

Aftab Sherpao warned the government against amending the 18th Amendment and said that his party would not compromise on the rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the QWP would resist any bid to slash the shares of the province in the National Finance Commission Award.

He said KP produced cheap and surplus electricity but its residents were facing prolonged load shedding. The QWP leader asserted the government should take the Parliament and all other stakeholders into confidence before launching the military operation.

He said launching the military offense without clear objections would be unable to achieve the desired results. “Any decision made in haste will prove to be counterproductive,” he remarked, adding the affectees of the past military operations were yet to be fully rehabilitated and compensated. Aftab Sherpao said launching the operation was an extreme step; therefore, consensus should be developed over it.

He said they were hoping the 2024 general election would bring political stability, but unfortunately that did not happen. He said now the opposition parties were using the term “Form 47 government” for the rulers. He demanded the resignation of the chief election commissioner and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan for failing to hold a free and fair election.

Earlier, the meeting discussed the political and economic situation of the country and passed several resolutions. The participants expressed their views on the economic and political situation of the country. One resolution asked the government to lower its expenditure and provide relief to the have-nots.

Another resolution expressed reservation about launching the military offense and demanded the government to evolve consensus over this matter by taking the parliament and the political parties into confidence.

In another resolution, the meeting warned the government against amending the 18th Amendment. The fourth resolution condemned the federal excise duty on the air fares for the people working in the Gulf States. The last resolution condemned the unannounced and prolonged load shedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which produced cheap and surplus electricity.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024