Protest staged against fresh taxes

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Markazi Muslim League on Friday staged a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club against rising taxes on electricity, gas and petroleum products.Provincial president Yawar Aftab and district president Malik Kalimullah led the protest.

The protesters said people were already faced with unprecedented inflation, lawlessness and terrorism and now the state had subjected them to more heavy taxes to benefit the country’s elite.

They said that rising inflation showed the government’s incompetence which had burdened the masses to provide subsidies to the rich class.They asked the government to bring reforms in government institutions to reduce their costs.

The speakers said improved governance could address the country’s problems while more taxation would exacerbate the situation.They asked the government to review the agreements with Independent Power Producers and reduce the electricity tariffs.

The speakers said high tariffs would force the industrialists to shut down industries which would add to the number of jobless people.They said the budget should have been prepared in light of the economic situation of the citizens but the government instead protected the interests of the elite and introduced more taxes.