GILGIT: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Barjees Tahir on Friday constituted a seven-member working group of GB Council headed by MNA Malik Ibrar Ahmed to examine the recommendations of a parliamentary committee of the region’s Legislative Assembly to help address the taxation issue in GB.
The body has also been tasked with preparing further recommendations for discussion in the upcoming session of the Gilgit-Baltistan Council in order to resolve the taxation issue that has triggered widespread protests in Gilgit-Baltistan.
According a notification issued by the GB Council in Islamabad, the working group includes local members of GB Council -- Saeed Afzal and Ashraf Sada -- joint secretary Gilgit-Baltistan secretariat Dr Aftab Akbar Durani, Commissioner IRGB Qaiser Iqbal and a representative of FBR.
It is to mention here that after widespread protests in the region, a parliamentary committee of GB Legislative Assembly was formed on Wednesday, which held talks with the representatives of Anjuman-i-Tajran and Awami Action Committee, and prepared recommendations to the federal government to resolve the matter of taxes.
The parliamentary committee will hold meetings with the working group in order to resolve the issue.
The GB parliamentary committee and representatives of protesters had agreed to continue peaceful and symbolic sit-ins till the issue was resolved. The government had also agreed to withdraw all cases registered against the protesters.
The parliamentary body recommended repeal of the GB Tax Adaptation Act, 2012, under which income, bank transaction and withholding taxes have been imposed on GB people.
The parliamentary body recommends that GB Council should consult Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly before framing any law.
THREE DIE ON ROAD: Three persons were killed and one was injured when a car plunged into a ravine near Gilgit on Friday.
Police said a car on way to Astore from Gilgit fell into a gorge while negotiation a turn in Juglot, as a result, three passengers identified as Mohammad Rafiq, Janullah and Abdullah, died on spot, while Mohammad Musa was injured.
The dead and the injured, who belonged to Chongara village of Astore, were shifted to the district headquarters hospital, Gilgit.
Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2017
