KP raises concerns over tax imposition in erstwhile FATA/PATA

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, held a meeting with a delegation comprising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarians and senior party leaders at the Chief Minister’s House on Thursday. The meeting undertook a comprehensive review of the Federal Government’s decision to impose taxes in the merged districts and ex-PATA, as well as the issues of prolonged unscheduled electricity load shedding, low voltage, and other related matters affecting the province. The participants expressed serious concerns over the Federal Government’s decision to extend taxation to the erstwhile FATA and PATA, as well as prolonged, unannounced power outages across the province. The meeting decided to pursue these matters vigorously with the Federal Government through all relevant institutional and constitutional forums. It was decided that initially the Provincial Government would formally communicate its concerns to the Federal Government through an official letter addressing the imposition of new taxes in the erstwhile FATA and PATA, alongside issues relating to electricity supply and distribution. The Chief Minister also directed that a joint meeting of PESCO, TESCO and HESCO be convened to address the persistent problems of unscheduled load shedding and low voltage affecting consumers across the province. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi stated that the Federal Government was attempting to further marginalise the merged districts. He said that after withholding the merged districts’ due share under the National Finance Commission (NFC), the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP), and current budgetary allocations, the Federal Government had now proceeded with the imposition of additional taxes. The Chief Minister noted that a clear commitment had been made that no taxes would be imposed on the merged districts until they had achieved development parity with the rest of the country. He remarked that the recent taxation measures constituted a back off from that commitment. Members of the delegation maintained that the imposition of taxes on the merged districts was unjust and unacceptable to the people of the region. They also expressed concern that despite Khyber Pakhtunkhwa being a big producer of electricity, the province continues to experience prolonged power outages. The participants noted that persistent unscheduled load shedding, coupled with low voltage during the ongoing summer season, has significantly increased hardships for citizens. The Chief Minister reaffirmed that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard the constitutional, economic and developmental rights of the people of the province, particularly those of the merged districts. The delegation included PTI parliamentarians Asad Qaiser, Junaid Akbar, Atif Khan, Shehram Khan Tarakai, Shandana Gulzar, Saleem Ur Rehman, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Mehboob Ur Rehman, Anwar Taj, Dr Amjad, Sajid Mohmand, as well as senior party leaders Shaukat Yousafzai and Arbab Jehandad. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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