Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Tuesday said that there would be no compromise on the supremacy of the Assembly, asserting that the authority to impose taxes and legislate rests solely with the elected House and could not be transferred to any other institution.
Addressing a press conference at the Punjab Assembly, the Speaker said that limiting constitutional powers through SROs was not acceptable and questioned how long elected representatives would have to act as a barrier against such practices. He stressed that all matters related to legislation and taxation must remain within the constitutional domain of Parliament. He said that even after 70 years, institutions had not been developed to ensure adherence to the law by those responsible for its enforcement, adding that the country’s direction lies in their hands. He urged Members of the Assembly to actively fulfill their representative responsibilities and uphold parliamentary supremacy.
The Speaker said all taxation-related decisions would now be made by the Assembly, and no one would be allowed to encroach upon its constitutional authority.
He emphasized that the path to national progress must go through Parliament and not through non-elected institutions.
Referring to the issue of agricultural income tax, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said the matter was not a conflict with the bureaucracy but a question of constitutional jurisdiction. He clarified that while the tax was intended for large corporate farming sectors, the authority to impose or withdraw it rests solely with the Assembly.
He informed that the Cabinet had referred the matter to a committee to determine exemptions, while reiterating that under Article 77 of the Constitution, all taxes must be presented before the Assembly. He added that the issue of agriculture income tax had been under discussion for the past eight months and would be resolved strictly in accordance with constitutional and legal requirements.