All parties jirga in Malakand rejects proposed tax, demands immediate withdrawal

A grand Loya Jirga convened under the banner of the Awami National Party (ANP) rejected the proposed tax for Malakand Division

MALAKAND: A grand Loya Jirga convened under the banner of the Awami National Party (ANP) rejected the proposed tax for Malakand Division and demanded its immediate withdrawal. The gathering was attended by representatives of all major political parties, lawyers, traders, and members of various segments of society.

According to the joint declaration issued after the jirga, the participants unanimously termed the proposed tax unacceptable and urged both the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to revoke the decision without delay. They maintained that imposing new taxes before ensuring peace, employment opportunities, quality education, and healthcare would place an additional burden on the people.

The jirga also stressed the need to safeguard the constitutional and special status of Malakand Division and emphasized unity among all political parties on the issue.

Provincial leaders of the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), along with representatives of trade unions and lawyers’ associations, participated in the meeting.

The declaration proposed convening a joint meeting of stakeholders from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA), and other relevant parties to find a constitutional solution to the tax issue.

The jirga warned that if the government failed to withdraw the proposed tax, a province-wide protest movement, wheel-jam strike, and other democratic measures would be launched.