PM ask critics of ‘revolutionary tax reforms’ to first make their tax details public

KHARAN, Apr 7 (APP):Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday said the recently announced ‘revolutionary tax reforms’ would bring in record resources to the national economy and lead the country to self-dependence 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 here, the prime minister said the tax reforms would make the people join the course of national development by paying taxes and proving their patriotism.
He was accompanied by federal ministers Lt. Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo and Hafiz Abdul Karim, and the National Highway Authority Chairman, who also briefed the prime minister on importance and scope of the projects.
“There is no room for criticism on it… I question them as what they are criticizing for over reduction of tax rates?” he asked the opponents.
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 the critics would meet their political fate if they told the masses that they were opposing the initiative of reducing tax rates and making people prove their patriotism by supporting the government in running the state affairs.
He said previous governments always increased tax rates but it was the PML-N government that reduced the same by more than the half. It had been experimented worldwide that people do not pay 36 percent taxes and when resourceful people evade taxes, the poor have to bear the brunt in the form of indirect taxation on daily use commodities.
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 the Afghan issue with local leadership and told them that no country desired peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan.
He said military solution failed to resolve the issue during the last thirty years. The solution lied only in dialogue among all Afghan stakeholders and Pakistan would extend all out support to the process as an obligation.
He hoped that if the Afghan side also showed the sincerity like Pakistan, peace could be restored in that country.
:Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the democracy would flourish and the country would progress if the people elect a sincere leadership in next July election.
He said the PML-N government executed record development works across the country and questioned as to why the previous political and dictatorial 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 of 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, thus increasing the economic activity.
Khuzdar-Shahdadkot road provides link between Balochistan and Sindh, passing through Wango hills. The cargo transport moving from Gwadar to Sindh will be able to use this road that will be completed at the cost of around Rs 15 billion.
The 200-kilometer Kaharan-Yakmach section connects three important districts of Chaghi, Washuk and Kharan. This is the closest link with Iranian border via N-25 and the project will reduce the distance by 250 kilometers.
The project will accelerate the economic activity in the mineral-rich districts as it will ease the transportation of the 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.
The prime minister said both the projects would prove a landmark for the province’s development as road infrastructure was inevitable for development.
He said the minerals of the resource-rich Balochistan would not benefit the locals if they were not explored. The exploration required peace, infrastructure and public share, he added.
He said Balochistan would become the richest province of the country but it required a government duly representing the public.
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 and people were leading peaceful life.
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 poverty survey.
He told the gathering that in July election, they would have to chose either the politics of truth and service or that of falsity and abuses.
Referring to the Senate election, the prime minister said a party leader had alleged another party leader of buying his 14 Senators but they were found to be supporting each other in the election of Senate chairman.
He hoped that as the politics of negativity had failed to attract public applause, the PML-N would obtain even more seats than the past in next general election.