Speakers at "Save Traders Conference: anti-traders budget not acceptable" slammed the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government for imposing additional taxes on business community in the federal fiscal budget for 2019-20. They pledged that they are ready to pay taxes but 'humiliation and extortion' not acceptable.
"The way you are threatening business community, it seems, you want to extort money, not taxes," said Pakistan Traders Alliance (PTA) Lahore president Nasir Hamid Khan, addressing Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi. Representatives and senior leaders of different trade bodies from allover the country attended the event under the aegis of PTA.
Before coming into power, PTA leader said, the prime minister had pledged to bring back the looted money. He asked if the looted money has been recovered, the PM should tell us about it. The way the government is acting against us, it seems that the traders had laundered the money," he said. He reminded the prime minister that he should not forget that majority of the people who voted for his party was traders. "But now we are very disappointed due to bad policies of the government. He said traders would not give a single penny amid scornful attitude but they would pay taxes with respect.
The PTA president assured the government of extending all sorts of cooperation in achieving the revenue target, but warned that not a single penny would be paid if they are extorted. He wondered how the government could attain revenue target if it is not providing a friendly atmosphere to traders. "It seems that the tabdeeli (change) you wanted to bring going on the wrong path. If you want to run this government, have a table talk with us; otherwise, a large scale movement would be launched and the traders would have no other option but to shut down the markets across the country," he said, adding that they want immediate withdrawal of additional taxes in the federal budget.
All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT) central president Ashraf Bhatti said they could ensure withdrawal of 'unjustified' taxes if they would stay united. In 1985, he recalled, traders had pressurised then government of Mohammad Khan Junejo and successfully got the budget amended. "We know that if people will not pay taxes, the country cannot move ahead," he said, reminding PM Imran that prior to coming into power, the latter himself had taught the people not to pay taxes and tear apart electricity bills.