SWAT — A grand jirga organized by the Traders Federation and the Swat Chamber of Commerce has strictly rejected the federal and provincial implementation of the Customs Act and income tax laws across the Malakand Division.
The high-profile consultative council, convened at a local hotel in Mingora, brought together prominent political figures, trade union leaders, and chamber representatives from across the region to present a unified front against the new fiscal measures.
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All-Party Alliance Rejects Sales and Income Tax Hikes
Addressing the grand jirga, key speakers—including the Leader of the Opposition in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Dr. Ibad, Traders Federation President Abdul Rahim, former Mardan Mayor Himayatullah Mayar, and Swat Chamber of Commerce President Nur Muhammad Khan—declared that the local populace would not accept any fresh tax burdens.
The speakers explicitly stated that the recent hikes in sales tax alongside the newly introduced 2% income tax remain entirely unacceptable to both the business community and the residents of Malakand.
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The baseline consensus of the grand jirga was backed by a diverse spectrum of political and public leadership, including:
- Wajid Ali Khan (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz)
- Fazal Rahman Nono (Qaumi Watan Party)
- Sher Shah Khan (Awami National Party)
- Muhammad Ejaz Khan (Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam)
- Ameer Muhammad Amin (Jamaat-e-Islami)
- Habib Ali Shah (Provincial President, PTI-Parliamentarians)
Escalating the Movement: Nishat Chowk Protest Announced
The grand jirga announced a formal phase-wise protest layout to pressure the government into withdrawing the financial regulations. The alliance will launch its public agitation campaign on Sunday with a massive protest demonstration at the historic Nishat Chowk in Mingora.
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Following the initial rally, the leadership plans to expand the anti-tax movement down to the tehsil level and across all remaining districts within the Malakand Division.
Underscoring the intensity of the resistance, opposition leader Dr. Ibad vowed that the political leadership would utilize every constitutional and democratic forum to defend the economic rights of the region. He warned that if the government fails to review the Malakand Division tax implementation, opposition lawmakers will not hesitate to resign from the legislative assemblies to register their protest.
