ISHAQ Dar’s denial of taxing foreign remittances in the coming budget is well taken care of and well-received by expatriates and their families. But knowing Mr Dar’s past reputation, one is reluctant to believe his assurances.

Mr Dar denies first what he wants to do and then does it. He holds a press conference to deny his earlier denials with an argument that those denials were under a different situation and that the situation has since changed.

Mr Dar as finance minister of Pakistan has a gift of the gab and gets away with his words and statements. He has one undeniably strong argument that it is the asking of the IMF.

The IMF is our lord and master with over $100bn loans. Taxing foreign remittance will be done if not in the June budget, it will be done in July or August when debt-servicing time comes and our finance mandarins will have to go to Abu Dhabi to meet IMF officials.

But let me say it loud. If remittances are taxed, it will hit Pakistan’s economy hard. Why doesn’t Mr Dar speak of reducing unbelievably exorbitant expenditures on the PM House and the President House? Why won’t he talk of reducing luxuries of MNAs and MPAs and the council of ministers and the lavish lifestyle of billionaires in a poor country?

Why is he backing out of bringing agricultural income in the tax bracket?

Amjad Habib Mirza

Lahore

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2015

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