PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has warned that the provincial government will give a strong response if the federal government does not withdraw its decision to impose taxes in the province’s merged districts.
Addressing a jirga convened against the imposition of federal taxes, Afridi said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is not collecting any taxes in the merged districts. He added that the provincial government has also decided to withdraw the Sales Tax on Services in the Malakand Division.
He thanked all political parties and leaders for supporting the province’s stance on the issue, saying public concerns had united stakeholders across political lines.
“The culture in the province is changing, and everyone is coming together on public issues,” Afridi said. He announced that a high-level delegation would be formed to hold talks with the federal government, warning that if the tax decision is not reversed, the province would respond strongly.
“We are representatives of the people, and the people remain our top priority,” he added.
Speaking on the security situation, the Chief Minister said the provincial government had prepared a Provincial Action Plan to combat terrorism. He expressed confidence that peace could be restored within four months if the plan were implemented effectively, adding that a separate jirga on law and order would also be convened.
Afridi further announced that another jirga would be held in Islamabad to present Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s financial case before the federal government.
Referring to political matters, he said that had he chosen to compromise, he would already have met the PTI founder. “Only my people can reverse my decisions. We come to power through public support, and if the people dislike a decision, they have the authority to reject it,” he said.
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