Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq It is a cardinal principle that what is not “income” cannot be taxed under the income tax law (presently in operation is Income Tax Ordinance, 200I]. In Pakistan, a misconception prevails that National Assembly can declare anything “income” through the Finance Act, passed as Money Bill every year, in...Read More

July 4 marks the Independence Day of United States of America Dr. Ikramul Haq July 4, 1776 has special significance in American history. The great liberation movement against colonial rule was pioneered in this land and founding-fathers of this historic struggle showed the subjugated nations a novel path of hope. They started a new beginning...Read More

Dr Ikramul Haq It is shocking that only two political parties filed income tax returns for tax year 2020 out of 27 registered with FBR and 127 with Election Commission of Pakistan  despite section 114(1)(ac) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 makes it mandatory. How can we expect rule of law in Pakistan, when 125...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari Dr. Ikramul Haq All annual budgets of federal and provincial governments—civil or military—for the last four decades, especially tax proposals through Finance Bills, strengthen elitist structures. The year 2021 is no different when millions are in dire need of money after three waves of covid-19. The coalition governments of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari, Dr. Ikramul Haq & Abdul Rauf Shakoori The incompetence and lack of understanding of the incumbent government has once again proven fatal as all their efforts to shift Pakistan from the list of jurisdictions with increased monitoring (grey list) to countries enjoying the status of cooperative jurisdictions were rendered futile. Repeated fiascos of...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe”—Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) No two human beings are alike yet collectively, what we yearn for...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari “The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection”—Michelangelo Although the biological needs of humans reduce them to the level of animals, there are some exceptional qualities which elevate them to the position of a remarkable species, capable of performing impossible feats and with a life-style that is clearly...Read More

Taliban, Americans, terrorism & drug-trade Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq Terrorism, drugs-for-arms and money laundering, intrinsically linked, still pose considerable threats to global peace and security besides destabilizing political and financial stability of many nation states. These menaces started in the wake of ghastly incidents known as 9/11 in New York. Since then, these...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari, Dr. Ikramul Haq & Abdul Rauf Shakoori The last meeting of the FATF in February 2021 concluded on a mix note for Pakistan. FATF acknowledged significant progress made by Pakistan on the entire action plan where Pakistan successfully made progress across all action plan items and largely addressed 24 of the 27 action...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari “It is impossible to understand addiction without asking what relief the addict finds, or hopes to find, in the drug or the addictive behavior”—Gabor Mate, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction The United Nations has declared 26th June every year as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking...Read More