JI leader opposes taxes in Malakand

BATKHELA: Rejecting imposition of taxes in Malakand Division, former senior provincial minister and head of Jamaat-e-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) Inayatullah Khan has criticised the central and provincial governments for not taking the deteriorating law and order situation seriously.

Speaking at a meeting of Jamaat-e-Islami’s provincial executive council, Inayatullah Khan expressed deep concern over the worsening security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He rejected the imposition of taxes in Malakand Division, announcing that Jamaat-e-Islami, along with the public, would protest against this decision. He also revealed that a stakeholders’ conference for Malakand Division would be convened soon to discuss the issue.

He also criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in the province for distributing Rs 10,000 per family among its workers during the holy month of Ramazan. He claimed that this was an attempt to mislead the public. He demanded that if the financial aid was meant for the poor, it should be distributed on merit rather than among party workers.

Inayatullah also condemned both provincial and federal governments for their lack of interest in addressing the province’s security concerns, stressing that ensuring law and order should be their foremost responsibility.