ISLAMABAD: The government has promised more stringent measures to improve security a day after terror attacks in two major cities killed more than a dozen people, after a brief lull in terror activities.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the National Assembly on Wednesday that the disaster would have been worse had the security personal not been on high alert in major cities.
“We have to fight together against terrorism; terrorists are killing innocent people across the country,” Malik said. He said it was a matter of satisfaction that all political parties are united in eliminating terrorism.
Later Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar made an attempt to convince critics of the reformed general sales tax (RGST) that the government has wanted to implement under conditions set by international donors for more loans. Documentation of the economy was need of the hour, she asserted in response to a calling attention notice.
“It is representation of the tax culture in the country and makes the government’s case for documentation of the economy stronger,” Khar said of RGST.
Though Khar could not reveal the estimated revenue loss, she urged the legislators to cooperate with the government in helping it catch tax-evaders. “These are the people who start rallying against the government and succeed in winning the support of parliamentarians,” she added.
“We have started issuing notices to those who do not file their tax returns despite having a turnout of more that Rs5 million,” she said. She also urged lawmakers not to politicise the issue, saying the government was exploring every option to improve the system. The tax base at this juncture was much lower than the required, Khar said.
