Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq Our politicians and their crony bureaucrats keep on maligning taxpayers while the so-called “informed” analysts and all-knowing (sic) TV anchors join the bandwagon with often-repeated popular jargon that only “1% of the population pays income tax”. This is total fabrication that exposes the hollowness of all those who subscribe...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The top officials of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) admitted before the Standing Committee on Senate on Commerce & Textile on October 22, 2019 that not more than 41000 persons filed sales tax statements along with payment of any tax! FBR alleges that “out of over 3.5 million traders...Read More

Dr. Ikramul Haq According to a Press report, in a recent meeting between Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the issue of sharing data about taxpayers/citizens was discussed. This issue is very vital from the perspective of protection of privacy of citizens’ data which, unfortunately has not been debated....Read More

Dilemma of ailing language Huzaima Bukhari “Personally I think that grammar is a way to attain beauty”—Muriel Barbery in ‘The Elegance of the Hedgehog’ What makes a human being different from other animals is the unique ability of communicating through speaking, writing and reading a language. The importance of language cannot be undermined as it...Read More

Hidden agenda & “deal” with Taliban       Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq  On September 11, 2001, nineteen years ago, humanity at large witnessed one of the most gruesome and heinous crimes in history. The wanton attack on twin towers of World Trade Centre of New York, symbolizing the financial might of United States of...Read More

Dr. Ikramul Haq “If we realise that the FBR cannot be fixed, we will create a new FBR. This is because Pakistan’s survival is linked to it. It’s not about our liking or disliking: if our tax collection authority does not function properly, it could lead to a security risk. No nation that relies on...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari “Death is less bitter punishment than death’s delay”—Ovid Exactly after seventeen months of the gruesome crime of killing 51 Muslim worshippers in two mosques of Christchurch, New Zealand, 29-year-old Brenton Tarrant will spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole. New Zealand abolished death penalty for murder in...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq Punjab is the most populous [110 million people] province of Pakistan with largest resources and budget size after the Federal Government and beneficiary of lion’s share from National Finance Commission (NFC) Award [for fiscal year 2019-20, it received Rs. 1.2 trillion]. For the last many years, the performance of...Read More

Dr. Ikramul Haq Pakistan, for the last many decades, has been grappling with the problem of raising adequate taxes to meet needs of both the people and the state. The perpetual and burgeoning fiscal deficit, coupled with deadly debt trap and mounting debt servicing, needs to be tackled on emergent basis. The Federal Board of...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The Pakistan telecom sector contributes steady inflow of heavy tax collections under major heads like Activation Tax, GST/FED, the PTA fee & charges and others. The PTA has been advocating to the government to reduce the tax burden on the sector, which it considers as an impediment for its...Read More