DLP Report
Malakand
The Malakand Chamber of Commerce and Industry has strongly rejected the imposition of a 10 per cent sales tax on the former PATA and FATA regions, calling it unjust and a violation of the promises made to the people of the merged districts.
In a meeting chaired by founding president Muhammad Shoaib Khan, and attended by Chamber President Inam Lalla, Senior Vice President Muhammad Salman Shahzad, Vice President Arsalan Alam Khan, Executive Committee members, and local manufacturers, participants expressed strong reservations over the federal budget for 2025–26.
The Chamber criticized the federal government for allocating only Rs130 billion out of the Rs700 billion promised for the merged areas over the past seven years.
Members said that despite repeated commitments, there has been no tangible progress in education, healthcare, employment, or infrastructure development in the region.
The participants termed the tax imposition on these neglected regions as “rubbing salt into the wounds” of communities already grappling with economic hardship, poor governance, and worsening law and order.
Speaking at the meeting, Muhammad Shoaib Khan, Inam Lalla, and other business leaders said, “None of the promises made at the time of the FATA and PATA merger have been fulfilled.
The government has failed to provide even the most basic facilities, and now it seeks to impose additional taxes on people still suffering from decades of deprivation.”
They questioned where the development funds for ex- FATA and PATA have gone, stating that no projects have been completed and not a single rupee appears to have been effectively spent in many areas.
The Chamber demanded an immediate extension of the tax exemption period in these regions, arguing that it is unfair to impose taxes in areas that remain economically marginalized and have borne the brunt of terrorism and underdevelopment for years.
