Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri rejects Amnesty Scheme of government

PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that if the parliament had been effective and democracy had been present in its original shape, the amnesty scheme meant to whiten the black money of the tax evaders and money launderers would not have been introduced. He said that the purpose of introducing the amnesty scheme is to provide relief to the thieves. He said that the process of loot and plunder of the state resources continues despite disqualification of the ousted premier.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri made these remarks while talking to the senior PAT leaders yesterday on telephone. He said that the amnesty schemes would not be effective in getting the looters and the corrupt to return their ill-gotten wealth, adding that the same approach used by Saudi Arabia to crack down on corruption will have to be adopted here as well. He said that a whopping sum of $100 billion was collected in a few weeks after the government came down hard on the corrupt elite and put them behind bars.

The PAT Chairman reminded that before coming into power, the corrupt ruling elite promises sky in their electoral manifesto. They promised to bring about tax reforms, increase tax net, improve financial management and break the begging bowl. He said that after the passage of five years, the prime minister has the gall to tell the nation that only 0.7 million are tax payers and majority of them are the government employees whose taxes are deducted from their salaries at the source. He said that if there are seven lac tax payers in the country, what the rulers have been doing in the last five years? Why the step to expand the tax was net not taken? Is it due to the fact that the government was led by the people who are known money launderers and tax evaders?

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri warned that the announcement of amnesty scheme is a suicide attack on the economy of Pakistan. The tax net will narrow down and the thieves, tax evaders and the corrupt will be encouraged to collect black money. He said that the untapped wealth of the disqualified mafia, which was not in public sight will be given protection through this scheme. He said that PAT rejects the scheme which is solely meant to protect the ill-gotten money of the looters, adding that it will further undermine the national economy. He said that provision of relief to the thieves will encourage them to make more money through illegal means.