Pakistani actor Faysal Quraishi has voiced concerns over a budget proposal to remove advance tax on payments for foreign television shows and advertisements, warning that the move could negatively impact Pakistan’s entertainment industry and threaten thousands of jobs. In a video shared on social media, Quraishi said the proposal appeared contradictory to the government’s stated […]
tax policy
Finance minister signals eventual end to super tax
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has indicated that the government intends to gradually phase out the super tax, describing its eventual elimination as a key policy objective. Speaking during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, the finance minister said the government’s direction was clear and focused on ending the super tax over […]
Budget for fiscal year 2026-27 to be presented in parliament today
The federal government is set to present the budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 in both houses of Parliament today, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb scheduled to unveil the financial plan in the National Assembly at 3pm, followed by a presentation in the Senate. According to parliamentary officials, the budget comes at a critical economic […]
PM Shehbaz calls for reduction in direct taxes to boost business growth
Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called for reducing direct taxes across all sectors in the upcoming federal budget, emphasizing the need to support business, attract investment, and accelerate economic growth. Read More: Pakistan Pushes for Tax Relief to Boost Growth Speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 in Islamabad, the prime minister said the government must shift its focus […]
FCC upholds super tax, overturns high court verdicts
The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Tuesday declared the super tax constitutionally valid, setting aside earlier judgements of the high courts and affirming parliament’s exclusive authority to impose taxes under the Constitution. Read More: FCC adjourns hearing of super tax case until today In a landmark ruling, the FCC upheld Sections 4-B and 4-C of the Income […]
A practical path to ending Pakistan’s IMF dependence
Economists Nadeem ul Haque and Shahid Kardar argue that Pakistan’s repeated reliance on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not the result of a lack of ideas, but of deep-rooted structural flaws in the country’s economic system that continue to generate balance-of-payments crises. Read More: Why Pakistan cannot depend on IMF support indefinitely In an opinion piece, the authors […]
Traders announce nationwide protests over mandatory POS machines
Traders across the country have announced nationwide protests on January 16 if the government does not withdraw its directive making the installation of point of sale (POS) devices mandatory. The announcement was made during a protest rally in Islamabad on Tuesday. The rally was organised by the All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajran and the Traders Action Committee […]
Devising a rational tax policy
There is a national consensus that existing tax policy needs to be reformulated to provide an equitable, pragmatic, investment-oriented and business-friendly tax system, integrating good tax administration with simplified tax laws that are easily understood and hassle-free from the implementation perspective. Efforts of the government in the past to reform the tax system through special […]