ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb has demanded reversal of the PTI government's proposed taxes on 1100CC cars and phone calls exceeding five minutes. Speaking in the National Assembly, she said that the people of Pakistan would feel the brunt on this phone call tax.

She said that people who work in cities far from home need to communicate with their families back home.

"This tax would snatch away this right from them as well," she said, adding that only 37 percent Pakistanis use smart phones and the rest would be adversely affected by the tax.

"Imran Khan wouldn't be affected by this phone call tax because he only drops a missed call to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who never calls back," she said in a lighter vein.

She said that the budget hits the middle class hard, and called on the government to ensure provision of public transport and metro buses for people in all cities.

"This government had gifted the nation 16 percent inflation rate and 15 percent unemployment rate. Imran Khan should give at least some relief to the people," she added.

"Imran Khan had promised that he would never impose indirect taxes whereas out of the Rs 1,100 billion new taxes, 67 percent were indirect taxes," she said, adding that the government is making it impossible for the honest hard working people of the country to lead a respectable life with even minimum survival expenditure.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021