Same promises, same salaried class left waiting

June 21, 2026

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told the National Assembly that the government wants to widen the tax net instead of putting more burden on salaried people. He said the focus is on bringing retailers into the tax system and improving how taxes are collected overall. He even claimed that the FBR has collected an extra $14 billion in the past two years, calling it faster progress than in past decades.

This sounds good on paper. But salaried people in Pakistan have heard this exact promise for years. Every budget season, a finance minister stands up and says retailers and untaxed sectors will finally be brought into the tax net. Every year, the salaried class is told to wait a little longer for relief. And every year, it is the salaried class, not the retailers, who end up paying the most through direct deductions from their monthly pay.

The honest question for Minister Aurangzeb is simple: if revenue collection has truly improved, why does the relief never reach salaried employees? Retailers and traders remain largely outside strict documentation, while a teacher, a clerk, or a junior engineer cannot avoid tax even if they tried. Talking about $14 billion in extra revenue means little to a salaried worker if their own tax burden never goes down.

The public does not need another speech promising to “broaden the tax base.” It needs visible action: real enforcement against undocumented retailers, genuine penalties for tax evasion, and a clear, public timeline showing how much tax burden shifts away from salaried citizens.

Until salaried employees actually see lower deductions in their payslips, these promises will keep sounding like recycled talking points. The government must show results, not repeat slogans that have already failed to convince a tired and overtaxed salaried class.