Jamaat-e-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq has said that the tax amnesty scheme was a blatant violation of Article 4, Section 25 of the constitution and a negation of the election promises of the ruling PML-N.
In his reaction to the prime minister’s announcement, Haq said that the PML-N leadership in is election campaign, had vowed to recover the plundered public money from the bellies of the corrupt but now it was benefiting the same plunderers and discriminating against the poor masses.
He said the Constitution gave equal rights to all citizens but the rulers were giving undue concessions to those who usurped the rights of others. He said the tax amnesty scheme was an open inducement to the people to plunder billions of black money for years and then get it whitened simply by paying a nominal amount.
He demanded of the finance minister to give an account of the “Qarz Utaro, Mulk Sanwaro” scheme introduced during the PML-N’s previous term in office,
Haq said that the government strategy to strike a bargain with those involved in the corruption of trillions, instead of bringing them to the dock was most shameful act. This was an open license to the plunderers of public money to carry on their practice which would plunge the corruption mafia into ecstasy, he added.
He said the general public in the country was finding it hard to make both ends meet and the government was charging them excessive high utilities bills. Instead of providing relief to the masses, the rulers were trying to benefit those concealing their wealth, plundering public money and indulging in black-marketing, smuggling and target killing and abductions for ransom.
He said that by announcing tax amnesty at this stage, the government was tempting the corrupt elements to amass maximum wealth during the next two years, which was a clear patronage of the corruption mafia. The government was giving shelter to those who had misappropriated from the public exchequer to the tune of trillions. By virtue of this amnesty, the members of the looters club would get certificates of law abiding, honest citizenship by paying only one per cent of the plundered money.
He said the elite ruling the country and the forces of status quo were bent upon the making basic changes in the Constitution in order to save themselves from the clutches of the law. However, he said that all such efforts would be foiled with public support.