TAX AMNESTY SCHEME 2000: AN ANALYSIS
By Dr. Ikramul Haq*I. INTRODUCTION The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) in its Circular No. 4 of 2000 dated 1st March, 2000, issued under Section 59D of the Income Tax Ordinance, 1979, unveiled yet another tax amnesty scheme to unearth…
The Politics of Loan Write Offs
By Dr. Ikramul Haq*The country’s banks and other financial institutions wrote off a staggering amount of over Rs 30 billion during the governments of Muhammad Khan Junejo, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Two-thirds of the total loans – Rs. 22.35…
Judges and accountability
Dr. Ikramul HaqThe process of accountability must start from those who judge others. Any process of accountability lacking credibility and transparency is bound to fail, even bounce back. For sustainable democracy, accountability of all through an impartial and competent judiciary…
Income Tax base – Myth & Reality
By Dr. Ikramul Haq*The Central Board of Revenue has been consistently and persistently claiming that tax base of Pakistan is disappointingly narrow and majority of the people do not pay income tax. The reality is quite opposite. The people of…
When work is worship
Huzaima BukhariAll religions, whether Godly or man-made, prescribe sets of rituals that signify essential elements of their tenets. One can easily identify followers of a particular religion from the way they perform their rites and observe their customs. Similarly, even…
Corrupt body politics
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqAll public power is a sacred trust, which is to be exercised fairly, justly, honestly and in accordance with law—Supreme Court in Workers’ Party Pakistan & Others v Federation of Pakistan & Others PLD 2012…
Urgent tax reforms
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqIt is clear by now that the government of Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI), like its predecessors, has no definite action plan for tax reforms that were promised in its ‘First 100-Day Agenda’. The modus operandi of…
HOW TO DISPENSE WITH OPPRESSIVE TAX SYSTEM
By Ikramul Haq*Over the last many years, the need for tax reforms is stressed and reiterated by all quarters including the Government itself. However, each attempt in this direction during the last several decades proved to be a complete failure….
Government-Traders Agreement on GST
By Dr. Ikramul HaqDr. Ikramul Haq, a leading international tax counsel, is a well-known author specialising in international tax, press, intellectual property, corporate and constitutional law. Dr. Ikram is Chief Partner of Lahore Law Associates (fax: +92 42 7226953, e-mail:…