The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) staged a protest rally against the federal budget in front of the Lahore Press Club on Friday.
The party has demanded withdrawal of all indirect taxes.
PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry said that the increase in indirect taxes would only burden the common man more. The tax on food staples would make it hard for working class families to put food on the table, he said.
The budget, Chaudhry said, would benefit the industrialists only. He said Sharif’s budgetary priorities were far removed from the problems faced by the common man.
“The budget was announced two days ago and the prices of food and petroleum products had already risen,” said Chaudhry, “The government seems to have no way to regulate prices.” All indirect taxes must be withdrawn, he said.
The budget was not people friendly, and would serve only the business class, said Chaudhry. The increase in general sales tax was sheer injustice, he said.
Punjab Tehreek-i-Insaf Punjab General Secretary Dr Yasmin Rashid also urged the government to withdraw taxes. Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rashid said it was not a balanced budget. “We will protest in the Punjab Assembly on the behalf of the common man,” Rashid said. They said Chairman Imran Khan would give the party’s reaction to the budget in a speech after taking oath in the National Assembly.
The protestors chanted slogans against the government. They demanded the removal of the raised GST as well as other indirect taxes. They also demanded that the government should announce an increase in the salaries of government employees.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2013.