Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday said the recently announced ''revolutionary tax reforms'' would bring in record resources and those criticizing the initiative should first make their last year''s tax details public. Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating Khuzdar-Shahdadkot road and launching work on Kharan-Yakmach road, the prime minister said tax reforms would make the people join course of national development by paying taxes and proving their patriotism.
He was accompanied by federal ministers Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd), Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Hafiz Abdul Karim and Chairman National Highway Authority who also briefed the prime minister about the projects. He asked his critics: "There is no room for criticism on it... I question them [his detractors], for what they are criticising... .[Are they] criticising a reduction in tax rates?"
The prime minister who earlier unveiled the plaques of two mega projects worth Rs 25 billion along with Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and the federal ministers, said critics would meet their political fate if they tell the masses that they were opposing the initiative of reducing tax rates. He said previous governments had always increased tax rates but it was the PML-N government that reduced these taxes substantially.
It has been experimented worldwide that people do not pay 36 percent tax and when resourceful people evade taxes, the poor have to bear the brunt in the form of indirect taxation on daily use items. He said the tax reforms were meant to shift burden of indirect taxes from the poor to those who were not paying taxes despite earning millions.
Apprising the gathering about his Friday''s visit to Kabul, the prime minister said that they discussed thoroughly Afghan issue and told the Afghan leadership that no country is more desirous of peace in Afghanistan than Pakistan. He said military solution failed to resolve issue during the last thirty years. There is, therefore, a need for a dialogue among all Afghan stakeholders and Pakistan would extend all out support to the process as an obligation.
He hoped that if Afghan side also showed sincerity like Pakistan, peace could be restored in that country. He said the PML-N government executed record development works across the country and questioned why the previous political and dictator''s governments failed to carry out development projects despite having same resources.
He said currently around 1500-kilometer long roads were being constructed in Balochistan besides thousands kilometers long others which had been completed. He said both Khuzdar-Shahdadkot and Kaharan-Yakmach road projects would cost Rs 25 billion and facilitate the people travelling from Iran, increasing the economic activity.
Khuzdar-Shahdadkot road provides a link between Balochistan and Sindh, passing through the Wango hills. The cargo transport moving from Gwadar to Sindh would be able to use this road that would be completed at a cost of around Rs 15 billion. The 200-kilometre Kaharan-Yakmach section connects three important districts - Chaghi, Washuk and Kharan. This is the closest link with Iranian border via N-25 and the project would reduce the distance by 250 kilometers.
The project would accelerate the economic activity in the mineral-rich districts as it would ease the transportation of minerals from Chaghi to Karachi, particularly from Reko Diq. After its completion, the highway could be used by 3,000 vehicles daily with a set speed of 90 kilometers per hour. He said the minerals of the resource-rich Balochistan would not benefit the local people if they were not explored. The exploration required peace, infrastructure and public participation, he added.
He said Balochistan would become the richest province of the country but it required a government that duly represents its people. The prime minister said consequent to political unity and bravery shown by the security forces, peace had been restored from Karachi to Peshawar and Quetta to Lahore.The prime minister agreed to the demand of Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch for construction of Nok Kundi-Mashkehl and Kharan-Basima roads on priority. He said as committed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, LPG-air mix plants were being established in every district of the province.
He also announced an additional Rs 300 million for a solarization project besides committing the construction of a stadium and launch of BISP and health card schemes in the area after completion of a poverty survey.
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