ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani on Monday declared the federal budget 2013-14 in opposition to provincial autonomy and therefore, in violation of the Eighteenth Amendment, DawnNews reported.
Speaking to mediapersons at a press conference in Islamabad, Senator Rabbani said that 25 recommendations regarding the budget had been presented to Senate’s Standing Committee for Finance. He was accompanied by several PPP leaders at the press conference.
Rabbani said that any change in the excise duties would be prevented.
Moreover, he called for the withdrawal of the increase in the general sales tax (GST). He also declared the income support levy to be unconstitutional and called for its immediate withdrawal.
He further said that the non-taxpayers had been exempted from paying their taxes.
Furthermore, Rabbani said that allowing the Federal Bureau for Revenue (FBR) access to the bank accounts of the Pakistani citizens was unconstitutional.
He further said that the wages of labourers must be increased to Rs 12,000 and increase salaries and pensions to up to 25 per cent.
Senator Rabbani also alleged that Rs115bn had been secretly reserved for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s discretionary funds.