GILGIT: Leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party,
Gilgit-Baltistan, on Thursday termed illegal the collection of income tax,
general sales tax and withholding tax from people in the region.
They
also announced to call an all-party conference to start a joint protest against
imposition of taxes in GB without giving representation to them in the
parliament and the execution of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project
without taking the GB people into confidence.
The
announcement was made by PPP leader Amjad Hussain adovcate while addressing a
press conference here. He was accompanied by former Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan
Legislative Assembly and PPP leader Wazir Baig, Jamil Ahmed, former regional
minister Mohmmad Ismail, Javed Hussain, Ayub Shah and Zulfiqar Ali Murad.
Amjad Hussain said that the federal government
had imposed taxes on GB people without giving them representation in the
National Assembly and Senate.
“Imposition
of taxes is the subject of GB Council and the council had rejected the proposal
last year. Imposition of taxes without the approval of GB Council is an illegal
and unconstitutional act, he said.
He
said that so far Rs38 billion had been collected from the people in different
taxes. He said that according to the law the federal government returned its 54
per cent amount of the taxes to the relevant province under the National
Finance Commission (NFC) award, but the GB government had not been provided the
share, which was a violation of the Constitution.
He
warned that the people would not pay taxes if they were not given
representation in the parliament.
Speaking
on the occasion, Wazir Baig said that the federal government had been violating
the rights of GB people. He claimed that without determining the constitutional
status of the region the work on CPEC in the region could not be started.
Speaking
on the occasion, Jamil Ahmed said that after two months of the GB elections the
government had not established the election tribunal to hear cases related to
poll rigging. He alleged that the PML-N government was involved in corruption.
He
said that the government had been holding festivals, but not giving relief to
flood-affected people of the region. Courtesy Dawn
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