PESHAWAR: The provincial chapter of Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has threatened to go on strike after June 6 if federal government fails to pay heed to its demand regarding restoration of 75 per cent rebate in income tax in the coming annual budget. The rebate had been reduced to 40 per cent by the incumbent government two years ago.

A press release issued from the office of the newly elected provincial president of FAPUASA Dr Abdul Shakoor and general secretary Dr Badshah Islam said that the demand was also made during their meeting with the chairman of Higher Education Commission Dr Mukhtar Ahmed at his office in Islamabad recently.

Giving details of the meeting, Dr Shakoor said that the teachers of all universities had strongly demanded restoration of the tax rebate as they were concerned about it.

He said that Dr Mukhtar Ahmed had also supported their demand and assured them of making efforts for reinstatement of the tax rebate. He said that tax rebate was the only facilitation given to the teachers in recognition to their services for the nation. The press release said that teachers were serving in grades up to BPS-22 but they were deprived of the facilities that were given to other public servants working in the same grades in district management, accounts management, federal secretariat and law enforcement.

The release said that FAPUASA was not taken into confidence by the federal government two years ago when it reduced the tax rebate to 40 per cent.

Dr Abdul Shakoor has already instructed all the academic staff associations in the public sector universities to display banners in their campuses to demand restoration of 75 per cent tax rebate. He said that FAPUASA could go for countrywide protest if the demand was ignored by the government.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2016