PTI set to move court against tax amnesty scheme

— Amnesty scheme ploy to ‘fool taxpayers’, claims PTI chief

— Says Sindh in worst condition out of all provinces due to Asif Zardari

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday announced to challenge tax amnesty scheme offered by the government which was unveiled last night by Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbassi, in court.

According to media reports, PTI has rejected the five points amnesty scheme of government launched to whiten the ‘black money’ for Pakistanis living in the country and abroad.

“The money launderers are filling their own pockets, this is not a scheme but a gift to looters. The matter of amnesty scheme will be raised in the Senate and a resolution will be moved against this scheme,” said PTI Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry, while addressing media on Friday.

Besides challenging it in relevant court, the party chief Imran Khan has also ordered to highlight the issue in parliament.

“Why would PM seek to do this just 45 days before government term ends? And why just two weeks before budget? This is a tax on honest people – a slap on the face of honest taxpayers,” Imran had earlier said in a series of tweets on Twitter.

PTI rejects yet another amnesty scheme which is one more brazen attempt by Abbasi to save criminals. Why would PM seek to do this just 45 days before govt term ends? & why just 2 weeks before budget? This is a tax on honest people – a slap on the face of honest taxpayers.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 6, 2018

He tweeted that the questionable intent of the scheme was reflected in the confusion deliberately caused by PM Abbasi verbally referring to the scheme not being applicable to “politically exposed persons” while the document being circulated refers to “holders of public office and public servants”.

The questionable intent of this scheme is also reflected in the confusion delib caused by Abbasi verbally referring to the scheme not being applicable to “politically exposed persons” while the doc being circulated refers to “holders of public office and public servants”. https://t.co/HzesbXLBVB

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 6, 2018

Imran further tweeted that if the circulating document was correct former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former finance minister Ishaq Dar and former president Asif Ali Zardari will be off the hook and will be able to take advantage of this scheme to benefit tax evaders, asset concealers and money launderers.

If the circulating doc is correct then NS & family, Dar & family, Zardari & family – all of them can take advantage of this scheme to benefit tax evaders, asset concealers and money launderers. https://t.co/5oEuz26Kgv

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 6, 2018

While addressing a news conference in Hyderabad on Friday, Imran accused the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif to have spent approximately 57 per cent of the budget allocated to Punjab only on Lahore.

The PTI chief further said that the Sharifs are ‘foolish’ as the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif keeps criticising the institutions, whereas CM Shehbaz keeps refuting him with his ‘praises for the institutions’. He was referring to Shehbaz’s recent statement on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa, in which the Punjab CM called him a professional and straightforward person.

‘SINDH IN WORST CONDITION OF ALL’:

Imran Khan, while referring to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) governed Sindh, said its condition was the ‘worst among all four provinces’.

He said that the PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his sister were torturing people in the province and that the people of Sindh have decided to ‘get rid of PPP’, hinting at launching movement ‘Kyun Nikala’ in Sindh.

Referring to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman as leader of Sindh’s ‘corruption mafia’, Imran Khan said on Friday that the PPP leadership ‘awoke Bhutto after every four years’ as part of their election strategy.

Addressing to the people of Hyderabad, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief said, “(Zardari says) Bhutto is alive while the people are dying (because of him).”

Right after passing the statement, Imran clarified that Bhutto was a great leader but “we will not let Zardari live ‘politically’.

Imran also took a hit at Zardari’s sister, Faryal Talpur, saying “Zardari mafia sucked the blood out of the people of Sindh.”

“Both brother (Zardari) and sister (Faryal) are making money from everywhere and people are scared of them,” he added.

Khan reiterated that the incumbent leaders plundered huge money from Pakistan and transferred it abroad to maximise their own wealth. “Children of Ishaq Dar and Nawaz Sharif are residing in Dubai and London,” he lashed out.

Imran strongly condemned the Kunduz attacks saying such incidents will lead to anarchy and that the US attacks in Afghanistan were making the situation severe.

Referring to Indian brutalities in occupied Kashmir, Imran said the voices against the issue should be raised on an international level.

TAX AMNESTY SCHEME:

Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had announced a major tax reforms package envisaging a substantial reduction in income tax rates and launching of an amnesty scheme for undeclared assets.

The PM said at present only 1.2 million people are filer income tax return out of a population of 207 million. He said of 1.2 million filers, only seven hundred thousand are paying tax while others only filed returns and paid no income tax.

He expressed the confidence that the substantial reduction in income tax rate would serve as an incentive for people to pay tax, adding that the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number would now be the tax number of the citizens.