Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Saturday that Pakistan has emerged as a strong and resilient nation following May 10, after delivering a firm response to Indian aggression.
Speaking in Lahore, Iqbal stated, “Even senior Indian military officials have admitted that Pakistani forces downed Indian jets. The arrogance of India’s leadership was shattered in the three-day conflict. Our armed forces have demonstrated that no one should dare cast an evil eye on Pakistan.”
He emphasised the critical importance of tax collection for national development, saying: “If taxes are not collected, the government will be forced to continue taking loans for development projects. Increasing income tax revenue is essential.”
Iqbal compared his economic strategy to military successes, vowing to replicate the spirit of Operation Bunyan-e-Marsoos in economic reforms. “The economy’s fuel is tax revenue,” he said, adding that the government has already begun the process of digitisation to curb tax evasion.
“If tax evasion is not tackled, the burden will keep increasing on the honest taxpayers,” he warned. “The salaried class is already contributing Rs400 billion in taxes. However, whenever traders are asked to pay taxes, they protest. I appeal to the business community to promote a tax culture.”
The planning minister called for a national campaign against tax evasion, urging citizens to view it as a patriotic duty. “We must launch a full-fledged campaign against tax fraud. Meeting our defence needs requires sacrifices—even the defence budget is being cut. That is why increasing tax revenues is vital for sustaining development projects,” he said.
