Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The administrative burden of tax compliance is hardest in Pakistan where firms have to make 47 payments and spend 594 hours (or 74 man days per year) dealing with tax regulations versus 12 payments and 175 hours in high income OECD countries—Toward a More Business Friendly Tax Regime: Key Challenges...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq “….the raison d’être of establishing special tribunals has been to dispense better quality of justice where people, better trained in particular fields and disciplines could provide quality decisions and resolution of disputes…. Appointing members to these tribunals on political basis or who are otherwise incompetent or have doubtful integrity...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq Tumultuous existence of 71 years of our nationhood has witnessed many upheavals— a journey from crisis to crisis has at its core the struggle for establishing a true democratic polity and a welfare state. The way united opposition is agitating alleged pre and post poll rigging in the aftermath...Read More

From endorsement to denial Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq In the last 60 years of its existence, the State of Pakistan has faced a daunting challenge of establishing true democratic polity based on constitutional supremacy. The long military rules and in between experiments of “controlled democracy” has denied the people of Pakistan their sovereign...Read More

Reality behind ‘war on terror’ Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq  On September 9, 2001, seventeen years ago, a gruesome and heinous crime against humanity was committed in New York—wanton attack on twin towers of World Trade Centre that symbolized the financial might of United States of America. Without admitting and investigating massive security lapses,...Read More

By Huzaima Bukhari Taxation is a lot like sheep shearing. As long as you shear a sheep, it will continue to produce a new crop of wool but you can skin the animal only once.  Anonymous Will it not be wonderful to live in a society where there is an overall atmosphere of well-being? Where...Read More

[Federal Tax Ombudsman]Before Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Suddle, Federal Tax Ombudsman WAHEED SHAHZAD BUTTVersusSECRETARY, REVENUE DIVISION, ISLAMABAD Complaint No.286/LHR/IT/(240)/577 of 2011, decided on 16th December, 2011. (a) Income Tax Ordinance (XLIX of 2001)— —-S.153(1)(b)—F.B.R. letter C.No.1(6)WHT/2009 dated 4-7-2009—F.B.R. CircularNo.3 of 2009 dated 17-7-2009—F.B.R. Circular No.6 of 2009 dated 18-8-2009–F.B.R. Letter C.No.1(10)WHT/2006-Part-III dated 1-11-2010—F.B.R. letterNo.1(25)WHT/2009 dated 26-4-2011—Payments...Read More

December 27, 2016 marks the ninth death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto, the great visionary leader, who resisted with great courage the agenda of obscurantist forces that have been trying to push Pakistan to a theocratic State, incapable of progressing towards an egalitarian and democratic polity. Dr. Ikramul Haq The act of great courage demonstrated by...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq  On September 9, 2001, twelve years ago, a gruesome and heinous crime against humanity was committed in New York—wanton attack on twin towers of World Trade Centre symbolizing financial might of USA. Without explaining such a massive security lapse, George Bush and his team immediately blamed Al-Qaeda for blatant...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq  “The United States has confirmed it is asking Pakistan for help in facilitating the Afghan government’s direct peace talks with the Taliban insurgency”— Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Had there been no 9/11, it is doubtful that American soldiers would have ever invaded Afghanistan. Their mission was to apprehend...Read More