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JI rejects proposed federal budget
JI chief Hafiz Naeem has strongly rejected the federal budget, branding it a "pro-elite document" that exacerbates poverty, inflation, and inequality.
Addressing a press conference, he said the government has failed to provide relief to the common man, choosing instead to favor the ruling class and privileged segments of society.
"The budget imposes a heavy tax burden on the salaried and middle-income groups while offering no meaningful concessions or structural reforms," he said.
He termed claims of poverty reduction by the government as "delusional" and "contrary to ground realities," noting that over 110 million Pakistanis continue to live below the poverty line.
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Express Tribune
20 hours ago
- Express Tribune
JI rejects proposed federal budget
JI chief Hafiz Naeem has strongly rejected the federal budget, branding it a "pro-elite document" that exacerbates poverty, inflation, and inequality. Addressing a press conference, he said the government has failed to provide relief to the common man, choosing instead to favor the ruling class and privileged segments of society. "The budget imposes a heavy tax burden on the salaried and middle-income groups while offering no meaningful concessions or structural reforms," he said. He termed claims of poverty reduction by the government as "delusional" and "contrary to ground realities," noting that over 110 million Pakistanis continue to live below the poverty line.
Express Tribune
a day ago
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Jamaat-e-Islami rejects federal budget, terms it elitist and anti-people
Listen to article Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, has strongly rejected the federal budget, branding it a 'pro-elite document' that exacerbates poverty, inflation, and inequality. Addressing a press conference at Mansoora on Wednesday, he said the government has failed to provide relief to the common man, choosing instead to favor the ruling class and privileged segments of society. "The budget imposes a heavy tax burden on the salaried and middle-income groups while offering no meaningful concessions or structural reforms," he said. He termed claims of poverty reduction by the government as "delusional" and "contrary to ground realities," noting that over 110 million Pakistanis continue to live below the poverty line. Hafiz Naeem accused the government of mismanaging the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), alleging it has become a tool of political manipulation and corruption, particularly in Sindh. Rs700 billion allocated for poverty alleviation is being used for corrupt practices. This misuse must be investigated and those responsible punished," he asserted. He argued that if these funds were invested in IT education, Pakistan's IT industry revenues could have surpassed Rs300 billion. Criticising the deteriorating state of education, he highlighted that nearly 29.2 million children remain out of school, while 'ghost schools' continue to drain public funds through fraudulent means. He lamented the lack of investment in education despite repeated claims of an 'education emergency.' Speaking on taxation, Hafiz Naeem revealed that the salaried class contributed Rs 499 billion in taxes this year, yet received no relief. He called for complete tax exemption for salaried workers and condemned the fact that 111 departments, including military-run organizations and private entities like Zia Hospital, are exempted from taxes while the poor are burdened with inflated utility bills. He sharply criticised the recent 600% increase in the salaries of the National Assembly Speaker and Senate Chairman, questioning the silence of government officials on the matter. He also denounced the imposition of an 11% tax on solar energy systems, calling it a violation of environmental and energy conservation commitments. "The government and opposition only pretend to be adversaries, but unite when it comes to enhancing their perks and privileges," he stated. Commenting on the economy, Hafiz Naeem said the country's current growth rate of 0.45% reflects policy failures, especially the "anti-farmer measures" taken by successive governments. He criticized agriculture credit schemes as "publicity stunts" that do not deliver real support to farmers, and pointed to a 30% decline in cotton cultivation as a consequence of neglectful policies. He described the ongoing use of outdated tools like Form 47 as emblematic of the systemic rot in agricultural governance. He further alleged that public funds are being collected through excessive taxation without any tangible benefits in return, whether in education, health, or public safety. Referring to Independent Power Producer (IPP) agreements, he said that promises of reduced electricity tariffs remain unfulfilled, while increases in petroleum levies amount to 'daylight robbery' from citizens' pockets. "The government has conceded that it may fall short of revenue targets by Rs1,500 billion and intends to impose an additional Rs 500 billion in taxes. What then is the logic behind such a budget?" he asked. Citing debt figures, Hafiz Naeem said every Pakistani now owes Rs76,000, with Rs5 trillion out of Rs11 trillion in total debt servicing going towards interest payments. "If interest rates were halved, it would significantly reduce electricity and gas prices," he added. He called the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) a "hub of corruption," advocating for deep institutional reforms or even the disbanding of the FBR to improve tax collection and eliminate debt dependency. He accused the FBR of using threats of anti-corruption action to facilitate further corruption. Demanding a reduction in civil and military privileges, he urged the government to redirect national resources toward the genuine needs of the people, especially defense requirements rooted in strategic necessity, not extravagance. Reaffirming his support for farmers, Hafiz Naeem announced a campaign against injustices faced by the agrarian community, citing previous success in securing reduced electricity tariffs following public pressure against IPPs. On foreign affairs, he alleged that India's intelligence agency, RAW, is involved in sponsoring terrorism in Balochistan. "There can be no negotiations with entities complicit in terrorism," he stressed. He also urged Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto to pursue serious diplomatic efforts on the Kashmir issue and demanded a clear and principled stance from the Pakistani government against US and Israeli policies.
Express Tribune
a day ago
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Winners list: Prize Amount Winners 1st Prize 30,000,000 235174, 272160 2nd Prize 10,000,000 278896, 418337, 464014, 722511, 957742 3rd Prize list: 001643 012583 015472 015807 016698 016872 018991 022360 023986 024314 024978 025660 029484 031272 034278 034737 039574 041014 042127 044147 045252 047698 049862 049994 050863 052061 055379 056885 057123 059158 059350 059600 061665 062565 063569 063573 063611 067293 069738 070100 070710 071372 071554 073279 074030 075785 075876 076577 077586 079126 079158 081269 081905 084235 084285 086131 087765 089082 091750 092257 094314 096945 098140 098293 101174 101733 103176 105458 113398 116076 116227 116305 118956 120522 123869 125787 131479 132288 132418 135434 135825 138378 141004 141622 141882 143087 143811 145127 145150 146006 147771 148712 150568 150723 151481 151632 152015 154802 155796 156062 156111 157325 159327 159648 160864 166206 166731 167412 169070 170117 170721 172006 172344 172740 172757 172840 172846 173012 173364 173736 174747 174884 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