All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir has said that they are ready to cooperate with the government to promote tax culture in the larger interest of nation and country but the imposition of withholding tax on bank transactions without consulting the stakeholders is not acceptable.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday, he announced to observe a strike on Wednesday (today) against withholding tax (WHT) imposed by the federal government on bank transactions and take out rally from Numaish Chowarangi to the press club.
He categorically stated that the major purpose of their movement was to save traders from withholding tax. He announced that they would not talk to the government representatives till withdrawing of 0.3 percent withholding tax on bank transactions.
He told media persons that discussion with Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on tax law reforms remained encouraging but the deadlock on the issue of WHT still persisted. He said due to obstinacy of the federal government, the political and economic structure of Pakistan was at the stake.
Mir asked all the business communities to be united against what he called unfair and controversial tax system. He said on the dictation of International Monetary Fund (IMF) the government was punishing its own people through indirect taxes. He said the government was trying to resolve the economic issues through political ways and means which had widened the gap between the government and business communities. He appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resolve this issue urgently.
