Government assures PTI lawmakers it will seek IMF extension for tribal districts’ tax exemptions

The government has assured the opposition that it will seek an extension from the International Monetary Fund for tax exemptions available to the merged tribal districts, as the waivers for the erstwhile Fata and Pata regions are set to expire at the end of the month.

As per news reports, the assurance was given during a meeting between senior government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders at Parliament House after opposition lawmakers raised the issue in the National Assembly.

The meeting was held in the chamber of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and was attended by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam from the government side.

PTI leaders Asad Qaiser, Junaid Akbar and party members of the National Assembly from the erstwhile tribal districts represented the opposition.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sanaullah said the finance minister had assured the opposition that he would take up the matter with the IMF.

“The finance minister has promised [the opposition] that he will seek to extend these exemptions after speaking with the IMF, and God-willing, will make efforts for it,” Sanaullah said.

He said PTI lawmakers had raised the matter before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during proceedings of the National Assembly earlier in the day.

According to Sanaullah, the prime minister directed him, Aurangzeb and Amir Muqam to immediately engage with the opposition on the issue.

He said Muqam had already been pursuing the matter, and the government was hopeful that the exemptions could be extended after taking the IMF into confidence.