Govt urged to include the rich in tax net

LAHORE:Civil society organisation has demanded the government bring the rich and financially established people in tax net instead of imposing unjustified taxes on the poor.

Joint Action Committee (JAC) for people’s rights, a civil society platform of 37 human right organisations took this stance on Monday while expressing concern over rising economic hardships for the people, especially salaried and working class.

JAC said the recent unjust taxes and levies imposed on essential commodities will only increase the hardships to the majority of middle and lower middle class. “Ironically, government's strange economic measures are disproportionately impacting the working class and lower middle class, while bailing out the rich and influential from sharing the economic burden.

The unjust and anti-poor policies of the government are not acceptable”. Joint Action Committeedemanded that government should withdraw all additional indirect taxes, levies, electricity and fuel tariff hikes and other stringent measures.

Joint Action Committee also condemned the firing on peaceful protest in Bannu, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries and police action against protesters in Karachi and Balochistan. “The use of state forces against peaceful protestors is shocking and demonstrates the state’s highhandedness and aggression.

The government must investigate all the incidents and hold those responsible under the law”. Joint Action Committee also perturbed by the multiple constitutional crises in the country.

The recent verdict of Supreme Court in the case of reserve seats allocation raised concerns regarding the clash of institutions and highlighted the inability of Parliament to decide on such matters.

Joint Action Committee demanded that the parliament should be taken on board in deciding all such constitutional matters. “All key political parties should initiate dialogue process without further delay to resolve all constitutional and democratic questions. Any misadventure at this point of time will push the country into further trouble”.