PA passes resolution against agriculture tax

LAHORE - The Punjab Assembly on Friday has passed a resolution against the much-feared agriculture income tax, while the resolution was supported by coalitions partners - Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N - including PML-Q though a few of the PPP female MPAs voted against this.
Secondly, the government has decided to transfer District Coordination Officer Mandi Bahauddin for misbehaving with two MPAs.
After the Question Hour, PML-N member Waris Kalo, when Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal allowed him to present the resolution.
The Mover had contented that the federal government was imposing the agriculture income tax after the International Monetary Fund had given a list of demands to the government, which was seeking loan from the Fund. “The farmers were already paying lot of direct and indirect taxes including provincial income tax, sales tax, water tax and others. The Provincial Assembly demands of the federal not levying the agriculture income tax,” said the Resolution.
Riffat Sultana Dar and Sajida Mir immediately opposed the resolution, while quite a few females joined them when the voting was being carried out.
Law Rana Sanaullah Khan, while giving assurance on behalf of the government, said that the Punjab government would not impose such a tax on farmers. “Secondly, constitutionally the federal government cannot levy this tax,” he added.
Senior Minister Raja Riaz Ahmed gave an assurance in the House that the central government would not impose any tax on farmers.
Interestingly, the imposition of the agriculture tax is a provincial subject, and demanding such a thing from the federal government is itself misplaced.