ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed to expedite formulation and promulgation of anti-terror laws so the enemy aliens and their activities could be contained. He also made it clear that civil and military leadership was on same page to root out the menace of terrorism, be it in Karachi, Fata or Pata.
The prime minister gave these directions while chairing a meeting at PM House to review the anti-terror laws in the country. After having a briefing on the subject from Interior Minister Ch Nisar, the PM directed for expediting legislative work so the noose around the terrorists could be tightened.
The meeting was also attended by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Chief of General Staff Lt-Gen Ashfaq Nadeem, DGs of ISI and MI, and secretaries of interior and law ministries. A briefing was also given on the ongoing operation against militants in tribal areas.
“There is no space for enemy aliens and their attacks on innocent civilians and armed forces, and they must be prosecuted with effectiveness,“ Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said. He said, “We will adopt coordinated strategy to root out the menace of terrorism.” He added that the civil administration and military were on the same page to tackle terrorists in Karachi, Fata (federally administered tribal areas and Pata (provincially administered tribal areas).
FBR directed to decrease tax rates
Chairing a separate meeting on reforms in FBR and measures to provide relief to the taxpayers, PM Nawaz Sharif said that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should reform the taxation system so as to facilitate the taxpayers. He also directed to decrease the rates of income tax, sales tax and other duties. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Ch Nisar, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and other senior government officials were also present in the meeting.
PM directed FBR should come up with a comprehensive reform package in one month. The reform package should simplify the procedures and enhance the tax returns, he said. He directed to bring in a tax regime which helps the businesses grow. In order to simplify the procedures and provide swift services to the taxpayer, PM directed to introduce new technology and tracking system to minimise the discretion of the tax officer. He stressed that the tax officers should facilitate people so that they feel comfortable.
The prime minister directed that the Income Tax, GST and Customs slabs should be rationalised and simplified so that it could help increase the revenue generation for the government. Terming corruption as root cause of all the problems, he stressed the need of plugging the loopholes in the system so that corrupt practices could be controlled. He directed that the management of FBR to observe zero tolerance towards the corruption.