Dr. Ikramul Haq In the wake of Panama Papers: Politicians, Criminal & Rogue Industry That Hide Their Cash, heated debatesat homes and abroad are going on and will continue for many days, if not months. In Pakistan people are disillusioned, as usual, that nothing will happen as the beneficiaries of stolen and untaxed wealth are...Read More

Dr. Ikramul Haq The myth that technocrats can run government affairs better than bureaucrats is busted at least in Pakistan in recent months by Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs. Firstly on November 11, 2019 he misquoted price of tomatoes and then on January 1, 2019...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The low degree of accountability of expenditures has made the revenue collection system more vulnerable to frequent restructuring. Placing responsibility to bridge the widening gap between revenue and expenditure on the shoulders of FBR alone will not prove successful—Thieves of State, Rashid Javaid Rana The Federal Board of Revenue...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The imposition of any kind of legislation that include levy of any tax or duty, cess etc having extraterritorial impact and involving entities operating on trans-provincial levels by any provincial assembly is patently against Article 141 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan [“the Constitution”]. In the same...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq INTRODUCTION In view of the hierarchical character of the judicial system in Pakistan, it is of paramount importance that the law declared by courts should be certain, clear and consistent. Inconsistencies create distrust in the administration of justice. It is an established fact that most decisions of the courts...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The Government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) contrary to its election promises after coming into power avoided fundamental structural tax reforms that could have yielded required revenue to make Pakistan self-reliant. It only resorted to patchwork here and there, thus, 2019 witnessed securing record loans, external and internal, no will...Read More

Dr. Ikramul Haq The pathetic performance of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in achieving even downward revised budgets for the last many years has adversely affected the fiscal scene—on the one hand federal government is in deep debt trap, fiscal deficit plus debt servicing are becoming unmanageable and on the other provinces—heavily dependent on share/transfers...Read More

Victim of ‘New Great Game’ December 27, 2019 marks the 12th death anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the great visionary leader, who resisted with great courage the agenda of neo-colonial forces aimed at pushing Pakistan to a theocratic State incapable of progressing towards an egalitarian and democratic polity. In recognition of her great services,...Read More

2020: Year of Road to Prosperity Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The Chairman of Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), while addressing a conference on ‘Ease of doing business in Pakistan: a case for tax harmonisation’, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad on December 6, 2019 reportedly ruled out “the possibility of...Read More

Huzaima Bukhari “Pakistan’s future viability, stability and security lie in empowering its people and building political institutions. My goal is to prove that the fundamental battle for the hearts and minds of a generation can be accomplished only under democracy”―Benazir Bhutto When crisis strikes, man has a tendency to make resolutions to enable its prevention...Read More