Bridging the huge tax gap
Huzaima Bukhari, Dr. Ikramul Haq and Abdul Rauf Shakoori The new coalition federal government will soon be in power, after controversial elections of February 8 2024, allegedly marred with post-voting manipulated results to favour the favourite. These were the…
Malice Towards None & All
Constitution, Supreme Court, Parliament & Voters Dr. Ikramul Haq The predictable order [short] by Supreme Court of Pakistan, issued on January 8, 2024, overturning by 6-1 its earlier five-member bench judgement in Sami Ullah Baloch v Abdul Karim Nausherwani (PLD…
Malice Towards None & All
Colonial Judiciary, Vernacular Justice Dr. Ikramul Haq History of existing laws and judicial structure in Pakistan dates back to the British colonial era—since independence nothing substantial has changed in the Anglo Saxon system except patchwork of so-called Islamic laws and…
Today’s Slogan: Compassion!
Huzaima Bukhari “Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival”—Dalai Lama XIV The concept of compassion is associated with…
Countering fake news
Dr. Ikramul Haq & Abdul Rauf Shakoori The general elections in Pakistan, concluded on February 8, 2024, amidst controversies, leaving observers astonished as all political parties expressed grievances regarding the electoral procedures. They are voicing concerns about mismanagement and manipulations…
Contextualizing FBR restructuring
Dr. Ikramul Haq There is encouraging news of restructuring of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), but disturbing, rather shocking response of strike by one field formation and warning from tax officers “to approach the higher judiciary if the caretaker finance…
Debating mutilated version of Constitution
Dr. Ikramul Haq “…..the vague, uncertain, obscure and conflicting terminology used in different provisions of Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution may be a result of bad draftsmanship or ignorance of the requirement of exactitude so essential to all…
Debate over FBR restructuring
Dr. Ikramul Haq According to a news report, the caretaker Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar on February 3, 2024 constituted a high-powered ‘Implementation and Asset Distribution Committee’ [‘the Committee”] to undertake “all required actions for…
Determining fair income-tax base
Huzaima Bukhari, Dr. Ikramul Haq and Abdul Rauf Shakoori According to the latest data available on the website of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the total number of mobile cellular subscribers as on January 31, 2024, was 190 million (79.11% mobile…