ISLAMABAD
\nFormer prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday said that \u201ctainted\u201d politicians will not be part of the newly launched political party \u201cAwaam Pakistan\u201d.
\n\u201cPoliticians with tainted reputations will not be a part of Awaam Pakistan,\u201d Khaqan said while speaking at a press conference in Islamabad flanked by his former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Miftah Ismail and Mehtab Abbasi.
\nThe party\u2019s launching comes as Khaqan, along with Miftah, ex-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) member Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar had parted ways from their former parties after developing differences with their leadership in recent months
\nWith the trio hinting at establishing a new political platform for months, Abbasi, in April of this year, approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the registration of a new political party.
\nThe party\u2019s today\u2019s launch was announced last month by Miftah, who while speaking, said that their party aimed to change the entire governance system of the country with the masses as core sources of decision-making.
\nSpeaking at the occasion, Miftah said that the existing \u201cpredatory\u201d system cannot continue in the country.
\n\u201cAre you running East India Company,\u201d Miftah said, adding: \u201cThis system of the hunter and the hunted cannot continue.\u201d
\nLambasting the federal government for its budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, the ex-finance czar said that those earning merely Rs50,000 per month are asked to pay tax, but no tax is demanded from the one owning thousands of acres of land.
\n\u201cThe tax on the salaried class has been doubled in the budget […] the middle class is being crushed,\u201d Miftah said, stressing that the budget in essence is a reflection of the ruling elite\u2019s priorities.
\nThe ex-minister\u2019s comments refer to the tax-heavy Finance Bill 2024, which was assented by President Asif Ali Zardari last week, wherein the government has set out a challenging tax revenue target of Rs13 trillion for the year starting July 1, up about 40% from the current year to strengthen the case for a new rescue deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
\nThe rise in the tax target is made up of a 48% increase in direct taxes and a 35% hike in indirect taxes over revised estimates of the current year. Non-tax revenue, including petroleum levies, is seen increasing by a whopping 64%.
\nAddressing the recently announced anti-terrorism drive \u201cOperation Azm-e-Istehkam,\u201d the politician said: \u201cToday we are going to conduct another operation […] why these operations are needed again and again because you cannot end poverty.\u201d
\nHis remarks come as the federal cabinet last week approved the launch of the counter-terrorism operation following the National Action Plan\u2019s Central Apex Committee\u2019s recommendations to root out militance from the country.
\nWith opposition parties voicing concerns over the anti-terror operation, the government has decided to convene an all-parties conference (APC) \u201cto gain political parties\u2019 confidence\u201d over its decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday said that \u201ctainted\u201d politicians will not be part of the newly launched political party \u201cAwaam Pakistan\u201d. \u201cPoliticians with tainted reputations will not be a part of Awaam Pakistan,\u201d Khaqan said while speaking at a press conference in Islamabad flanked by his former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-416832","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n