Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has refused to collect taxes for Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) under Income Tax Ordinance 2001.
The excise department of the Sindh government collects around Rs 8 billion in terms of taxes for the federal government. The amount is collected from the registration of vehicles and the transfer of vehicles’ ownership.
The provincial motor registration authority receives these taxes from the registration of 800 CC to 1300 CC vehicles.
Shedding light on the matter, Secretary Sindh Excise department Abdul Haleem Shaikh said that they used to collect these taxes voluntarily to submit it with the federal authorities. He, however, said that constitutionally, they were not bound to collect it.
We will not be receiving this tax after fresh directives from the chief minister Sindh, he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh government on February 06 expressed its resentment over the deduction of eight billion rupees by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from the accounts of the provincial excise department.
The provincial government has decided to bring back the money and raise the matter in the provincial cabinet.
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah while presiding over a meeting over deductions said that the FBR has made these deductions of Rs eight billion from excise and taxation department and if these funds are not returned then the province would halt tax collection for the federal government.
“The FBR should open a separate counter for collection of withholding tax in the provincial excise department,” he said.
He said that the province collects withholding tax on behalf of the federal government for vehicles’ registration purposes and only charges two percent of the amount for extending its services and submit remaining to the FBR account.
Meanwhile, Murad Ali Shah has directed law enforcement agencies (LEA) to intensify targeted operation and further strengthen intelligence work so that emerging threat of terrorists could be crushed all over Sindh.
This he said on Monday while presiding over a meeting on law and order just after attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSE) here at CM House. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, DG Rangers Major General Omar Bukhari, PSCM sajid Jamal Abro, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, ACS Home Usman Chachar, Adl IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Maher, Adl IG CTD and heads of different intelligence agencies.
The Chief Minister condemning the attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange termed it an `attack on the country and on national economy’ and said it could not be tolerated and the attackers would be crushed with iron hands.
He said, just after back-to-back attacks in Ghotki, Larkana and Karachi a couple of day ago, the attack on stock exchange on Monday seemed to be the terrorism of the same group. “I want to see all of them behind the bars,” he directed all the agencies.
The IG Police, Mushtaq Maher briefed the chief minister about the incident. According the IG the attack on Stock Exchange took police in the jurisdiction of Mithadar police. The police and Rangers rushed to spot when the Mithadar police was informed. The police and rangers, within an eight-minute operation, killed four terrorists in encounter.
In the operation, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Shahid, Security Guard of Stock Exchange Iftikhar and an unidentified civilian embraced martyrdom while three policemen of RRF, Saeed, Shahzad Ahmed and Imtiaz, two passersby Khudayar and Ashiq, Security Guard Waqas and a stock exchange employee Amir sustained multiple injuries. They were shifted to hospital and their condition is stated to be stable, the CM was told.
The chief minister said that it seemed to be an organized group who has started terrorist activities in the province, therefore they must be combed out and brought to the book. He directed police, Rangers and intelligence agencies to start intelligence-based operation all over Sindh.
Shah also directed police and Rangers to strengthen vigilance at all the exit and entry of points of all the cities , including at the borders with other province.
The police and Rangers told the chief minister that they would start targeted operation against the terrorists in the city of Karachi and other districts and towns of the province with 24 hours.
The chief minister was told the agencies have some clear close to reach to the throats of the terrorists.
Shah appreciated the policemen and Rangers who fought bravely with the terrorists and killed them. “My word of appreciation must be reached to the jawans of police and Rangers,” he told DG Rangers and IGP and said he would meet with the injured policemen to encourage them.
The chief minister directed the LEA to send the finger prints and photos of the terrorists killed in operation to NADRA to identify them and then investigate their links and origin further.
