ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers on Monday submitted an adjournment motion in the National Assembly against Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s tax amnesty scheme.
On April 5, Prime Minister Abbasi announced a reduction in the income tax percentage. The move is primarily aimed at clamping down on tax evaders in an effort to bring more people into the tax net.
The motion was forwarded by PTI leaders Shireen Mazari, Asad Umar and Munnaza Hassan in NA Secretariat.
The motion stated that bringing the scheme 45 days before the completion of government tenure and two weeks prior to the national budget presentation is against the democratic process.
The PTI demanded discussion on the amnesty scheme while postponing the regular agenda of the House.
The opposition party also filed a motion to hold a discussion on the current situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). The government has failed to present a comprehensive policy on the matter, the motion said.
Last week, addressing a press conference in the federal capital after a meeting of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) that ended earlier on Thursday, the prime minister said that a decision had been taken to introduce a five-point amendments package on income tax.
“The amnesty scheme has been introduced to bring citizens into the tax net,” he said.
During the meeting, the prime minister noted that only 1.2 million Pakistanis filed income tax returns. He said that out of 1.2 million Pakistanis, only 700,000 were real taxpayers, while the remaining only filed returns but failed to pay any income tax.
“Around 90 per cent people who pay their taxes include those whose tax is deducted at source,” PM Abbasi said. Elaborating further, he said, “Only a meagre 0.7 million people paid their taxes last year because they were mostly salaried employees.”
On the occasion, he announced a tax amnesty scheme for nonpayers, however, he clarified that politically exposed persons (PEPs) and their families were not eligible to benefit from the scheme. The amnesty scheme would be valid until June 30.