LOWER DIR: Rejecting the federal budget for fiscal year 2024-25, Jamaat-i-Islami announced here on Thursday to devise a course of action against taxing the poor.

Addressing a news conference here in Timergara, JI deputy provincial chief Inayatullah Khan said that the government presented a budget prepared by the team of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

JI district chief Izazul Mulk Afkari, district general secretary Hafiz Yaqubur Rehman, former MNA Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, former MPA Saeed Gul, trader leader Haji Anwarud Din and Dir Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Syed Noor Alam Bacha, Samarbagh tehsil chairman Saeed Ahmad Bacha, former tehsil nazims Imranud Din, Humayun Khan, Sultanat Yar Bukhari and others were also present on the occasion.

The JI leader said that about new taxes of Rs13,000 billion would be imposed on people. He said that government added to the miseries of people.

Inayatullah Khan says budget prepared by IMF team

He said that one year exemption from taxes for Pata and Fata was tantamount to deceiving people. “There is nothing for poor in the budget. It is a jugglery of words,” he said.

Mr Khan said that according to an agreement, Malakand division would be a tax-free zone till 2069 but government extended its tax-free status only for one year. He criticised the government for increasing levy on petroleum products, saying it would affect the prices of all edibles.

He said that JI would devise a strategy against government after due consultation with trader and labour unions.

Meanwhile, former provincial minister and leader of Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians Advocate Muzafar Said told journalists that government could not impose taxes in Malakand division without taking its people into confidence.

He said that former states of Dir, Swat and Chitral were merged into Pakistan after inking an agreement that government would not collect taxes from locals for the next 100 years.

KILLED: Two persons were killed and one was injured in different firing incidents in the district on Thursday.

According to police, Noor Rehman, a resident of Upper Dir, was killed and Anwar Zada, a resident of Samarbagh Colony, was injured when rivals opened firing on Khan Bacha family after a brief argument over land dispute in Ali Sher village.

In another incident, Hamza was killed during a clash between the families of Mursaleen and Hamza over a land dispute in the limits of Mayar police station.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2024