'Grand alliance against govt in the offing'
RAWALPINDI:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) incarcerated leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that all major parties were endorsing the PTI stance and that a grand opposition alliance was expected to form soon.
In an informal conversation with the media on Wednesday, the PTI vice chairman said politicians like Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Maulana Fazlur Rehman were also supporting the PTI stance.
He predicted that Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz would be acquitted in all cases. He pointed out that the appointments of judges should have been delayed till the conclusion of petitions challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
The former foreign minister also criticized the government on briefing the IMF mission on internal affairs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
15 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Alarms over the 27th constitutional tweak
While the federal government has yet to formally move ahead with the 27th Constitutional Amendment, murmurs of discontent and debate have already taken root within the legal fraternity as the Supreme Court resumes hearings on review petitions challenging the July 12 order in the reserved seats case. Tensions escalated further when Islamabad High Bar Association (IHCBA) President Wajid Gilani came out in support of the proposed amendment, hailing it as an opportunity for much-needed "structural reforms" in the superior judiciary. However, the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) fired back, condemning Gilani's stance and warning that lawyers from Sindh would "strongly resist, by any means necessary, any attempt to reintroduce martial law and impose this judicial one-unit scheme upon the federation of Pakistan". 'Post-constitutional order' Weighing in, former additional attorney general Tariq Mahmood Khokhar pointed out that the original draft of the 26th Amendment had already been significantly revised under duress. "In the face of opposition, to the chagrin of the Established Order, many of its amendment clauses had to be dropped from the final draft. But they were not abandoned as a lost cause," Khokhar said. He argued that the current political climate is "propitious" for reintroducing those previously omitted provisions through the 27th Amendment. "Victory on the battlefield can be seductive. Opposition is almost invariably a daunting task in Pakistan. More so now than ever before. Even otherwise, controlled institutions, lacking public legitimacy, unrepresentative legislatures and executives, the mainstream media and the legal fraternity are vying for collaboration." Khokhar warned that these dormant clauses could now return with ease, asserting that the 26th Amendment had already propelled Pakistan into a "post-constitutional order". "The proposed 27th Amendment will 'formally' replace the already diminished rule of law with rule by law (law as an instrument of control). Expect reintroduction of military courts, a federal constitutional court, revamped judicial commission, redefined provincial powers, diminished judiciary, curtailment of the fundamental rights, marginalisation of the constitutional institutions, an authoritarian presidential system and more," he said. "The supreme tragic irony is that the intended victims are, with rare honourable exceptions, willing accomplices in and apologists for offences against the constitution and democracy," Khokhar warned. Meanwhile, lawyers have begun to question why the committee of constitutional benches, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan and comprising Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, has not yet fixed hearings on petitions against the 26th Constitutional Amendment, as it moves swiftly on the reserved seats case – a matter deemed crucial for enabling the ruling coalition to secure two-thirds majority in Parliament. Observers note that the constitutional bench appears eager to wrap up the proceedings on the reserved seats case without delay. However, questions are being raised over whether such haste risks undermining judicial independence, a salient feature of the Constitution. Moreover, the very formation of the constitutional bench is itself under scrutiny. A section of the legal community alleges that those who benefited from the 26th Amendment are hesitant to adjudicate its legal challenges. In 2015, a majority of SC judges, in the landmark 21st Constitutional Amendment case, had held that the parliamentary form of government was a salient feature of the Constitution and could not be amended via constitutional amendment. Justice (retd) Sheikh Azmat Saeed authored the judgment, which was endorsed by eight judges. According to the verdict, the constitution contains a scheme that reflects its salient features. "In an effort to discover such salient features, material outside the Constitution cannot be safely relied upon. The salient features are ascertainable from the Constitution including democracy, the parliamentary form of government and independence of the judiciary," the ruling read. It further stated that Parliament's power to amend the Constitution was subject to implied limitations. As per Articles 238 and 239, Parliament may amend the Constitution, provided that the salient features are not repealed, abrogated, or substantively altered. The judgment also affirmed that the apex court is vested with jurisdiction to interpret the Constitution and to determine whether any constitutional amendment violates its defining features. While the majority judgment remains in force, legal circles maintain that there was still a pressing need for the top court to examine the validity of the 26th Constitutional Amendment. They caution that further delay in adjudication could open the door for additional constitutional amendments, potentially threatening the Constitution's foundational principles. Meanwhile, in its strongly worded statement, the Karachi Bar Association expressed dismay over IHCBA President Gilani's public endorsement of an amendment "as yet unknown to the nation at large". "The lawyers and the people of Pakistan expect Bar Associations and Bar Councils to be independent voices. They must not act as proxies on behalf of the Government and be used to throw out feelers on the Government's behalf and declare support and rubber-stamp constitutional amendments that are yet to even see the light of day." The KBA argued that making such statements while the legal community continues to grapple with the consequences of the 26th Amendment, which has not only been rejected by the legal community at large but is also sub judice, was "entirely unwarranted". "If indeed there is any such Amendment on the anvil and the Government has seen fit to secretly share its contents with the IHCBA President; he should share the same with his actual constituents – which is the legal community." "The news is also being spread that such Amendment will include a requirement of fresh oath for superior court judges. This is a transparent attempt to intimidate the few judges left who are yet to surrender their conscience at the feet of the government. It is identical to the PCO oaths invented by General Zia and General Musharraf for this very purpose and any civilian and legal/judicial collaborators in this martial-law exercise shall surely be remembered in the same terms as Sharifuddin Pirzada and Abdul Hameed Dogar," the statement further read. "In any event, to the extent the learned IHCBA President has announced support for constitutional amendments that would allow High Court and Lower Court judges from Islamabad to be transferred and posted in the different provinces (with or without their consent); the Karachi Bar Association considers this not only an attack on judicial independence but an attack on federalism and the autonomy and independence of provincial judiciaries." "Let there be no doubt, the lawyers of Sindh strongly reject and shall resist, by any means necessary, any attempt to reintroduce martial-law and impose this judicial One-Unit scheme upon the Federation of Pakistan," the association warned.
Business Recorder
15 hours ago
- Business Recorder
JI chief meets Bangladesh's ambassador
LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman met with Bangladesh's Ambassador to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan. The meeting focused on bilateral relations, regional dynamics, and matters of mutual interest. Talking on the occasion, Rehman emphasized that both Pakistan and Bangladesh face similar challenges in the realms of defense and security. He called for stronger cooperation between the two countries, especially in sectors such as defense, education, trade, and technology. 'Pakistan and Bangladesh have entered a new era of friendship,' he said, underscoring the importance of deepening people-to-people connections and fostering closer ties at the societal level. He stressed that the people of both nations share historical and cultural bonds and cannot be separated by past divisions. 'Strengthening mutual friendship will contribute to the progress of both countries,' he remarked. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
16 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Cashless economy at crossroads
Listen to article As Pakistan's informal economy swells to $140 billion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif faces a choice between incentivising people by offering lower taxes to encourage digital payments or imposing higher costs on cash transactions for government payments and utility bills. An expert committee on the cashless economy, made up of public and private sector representatives, recently submitted recommendations to the PM. Their approach centres around a "carrot and stick" policy. If the PM chooses incentives, he will have to lower sales tax and petroleum levies. But if he opts for penalties, people will pay more when making payments to the government or buying fuel and other utilities. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is set to announce the new budget on June 10. It will be clarified whether the government will focus on incentivising digital payments or punishing cash use. Previous punishment policies targeting non-filers with higher taxes have failed to deliver results. "It is up to the government whether to incentivise digital payments or punish cash users," said a committee member in background talks. The committee offered four key recommendations, presenting both options to the government. The first calls for mandating acceptance of digital payments by empowering district authorities to enforce the use of the RAAST QR code — an instant payment method — at all retail outlets. Local authorities should ensure the presence of RAAST QR codes and penalise merchants for inactivity. The committee expects that within a year, one million active RAAST QR codes could be operational if enforced effectively. "The solution lies with QR codes, not credit cards," said a committee member. "There are only 2 million credit cards and 50,000 card readers, but Pakistan has five million retail outlets." Merchants charge 1.5% fees on credit card payments, but only 1% on RAAST payments, the member added. The committee estimated that the informal economy makes up 35% of the economy, translating to $140 billion today. The government must choose to incentivise or punish, but past experience shows punishments don't work. One major recommendation is to reduce the sales tax on digital payments from 18% to 5%, along with a three-year tax audit break for digital transactions. The committee also proposed eliminating customs duties on digital payment-related equipment. They believe these incentives could double digital transactions within six months. When the committee approached the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) about tax cuts, the FBR said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would oppose it. However, the IMF told the committee it had no objection and threw the ball back in FBR's court. On the punishment side, the committee suggested making cash payments more expensive. They recommended imposing a surcharge on over-the-counter government payments, capping cash-on-delivery payments, and removing sales tax incentives on cash-on-delivery. One punitive proposal is to increase petrol prices by 1% or Rs3 per litre for cash payments. With 12,000 petrol stations nationwide and 70% of customers on motorcycles, this could be a significant deterrent. The committee believes the punishment policy could cut cash circulation by 2% of GDP, about Rs2.6 trillion. It also suggested that all government paymentssuch as those to Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries or contractorsshould be made digitally. This would require mandatory installation of RAAST QR codes at all government payment points within six months and creating digital wallets for every government disbursement, starting with BISP. If successful, this could add 20 million new bank accounts within 18 months, the committee said. The government introduced the non-filer category in 2013 to broaden the tax base. However, over 12 years, it has become a tool to extract higher taxes rather than expand the base. Utility bills are also being used to collect taxes, hurting sectors like telecommunications. The telecom industry demands exemption from withholding tax deductions, similar to the banking sector. Telecom companies face deductions on thousands of transactions, such as electricity bills for cell towers. This raises compliance costs and administrative burdens. Verifying tax claims on these bills is also difficult for authorities, adding to the operational load. The industry argues withholding tax on telecom services should not be treated as a minimum tax, which applies even during loss-making years. Current harsh recovery measures disrupt business and undermine taxpayer confidence. CMOs pay advance or withholding tax on hundreds of thousands of transactions, including electricity bills and imports. Maintaining documents and handling audits demand significant effort and cause verification issues. They want the 4% withholding tax on telecom services to be adjustable rather than a minimum tax. The shift from adjustable income tax to minimum tax has effectively turned income tax from direct to indirect, the industry said. The sector also demands removal of the 10% advance income tax on auctions or renewals of telecom licenses. This advance tax raises business costs and capital expenses, hindering 4G/5G expansion and rural coverage. Further, the telecom sector wants the 75% advance tax on non-filers abolished, along with measures like SIM blocking, which have not produced meaningful results. Operators would need costly and time-consuming billing system upgrades to manage two tax rates. Since telecom services are essential, SIM blocking could deprive people of basic access. In April 2024, mobile operators were ordered to block SIM cards of over 500,000 non-filers. The Finance Act 2024 increased the advance income tax rate for non-filers to 75%. Additionally, non-compliance carries penalties of Rs50 million for the first offence and Rs100 million for subsequent violations. These punishments have failed, with the FBR shifting responsibility onto others. The withholding tax under Section 236 rose from 10% to 15% in the 2021 supplementary Finance Act. It applies only to tax filers, yet most telecom consumers are non-filers. The industry wants this rate reduced to 12.5% in the next budget.
