PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) has convened an emergency meeting today (Monday) to formulate a strategy against federal government’s decision to impose taxes in Malakand division, describing the move as “anti-people” and a violation of constitutional and state commitments.

According to a statement issued here on Sunday by the party, the meeting will be held at 11:00am at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar on the instructions of ANP president Senator Aimal Wali Khan. District presidents, general secretaries from across Malakand division and members of the party’s provincial cabinet have been directed to attend.

ANP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the party would discuss launching a protest movement against the federal government’s tax decision, intensifying its public outreach campaign and finalising its future course of action.

Mr Hussain termed the tax imposition “an anti-people decision” and alleged that it amounted to a breach of constitutional and legal assurances given to the people of Malakand division and the merged districts.

He questioned whether the state had fulfilled its obligations under the 1973 Constitution, the 18th Constitutional Amendment and the 25th Constitutional Amendment before extending taxation to the region.

“The promises made to the merged districts remain unfulfilled. Peace has not been fully restored, development projects are incomplete and the writ of the state has yet to be firmly established. Under these circumstances on what moral or legal basis new taxes are being imposed?” he asked.

The ANP leader argued that residents of the region continued to face insecurity, militancy, displacement, inflation and unemployment and said imposing additional taxes would place an unfair burden on an already distressed population.

He also claimed that such policies would widen the gap between the state and the people and urged the federal government to withdraw what he described as an unjust decision.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2026