Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said that the government has provided relief to the salaried class in the latest budget and that opposition parties should recognize the positive economic steps taken by the government.
Speaking in the National Assembly during the budget session, he said the country has achieved macroeconomic stability after facing severe financial challenges.
Atta Tarar said that under the new budget measures, individuals earning below Rs50,000 will not be taxed.
He added that a 1% tax has been imposed on salaries ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs100,000, describing the structure as balanced relief for low and middle-income groups.
He stressed that the budget has been designed to avoid additional burden on the poor while supporting economic stability.
Claims of economic stabilisation
The Information Minister said the government took charge in difficult economic circumstances and focused on stabilising the economy.
He claimed that Pakistan was previously facing severe pressure on foreign exchange reserves, inflation, and trade operations.
According to him, the country has now achieved macroeconomic stability, which should be acknowledged by political opponents.
Criticism of opposition
Atta Tarar criticised the opposition, alleging that certain political elements had supported actions that could have harmed the country’s financial standing.
He referred to past correspondence with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), claiming that some leaders had written letters during critical negotiations.
He said such actions were aimed at creating instability, adding that “history will remember” the government’s efforts to protect the state.
The minister said engagement with the IMF played a key role in stabilising the economy.
He added that if negotiations had not taken place, the country would not have seen the current improvement in economic indicators.
He also claimed that the exchange rate had previously been highly unstable and that business operations such as letter of credit (LC) approvals had been affected.
Tax reforms, revenue recovery
Atta Tarar highlighted reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), saying enforcement measures helped recover significant revenue.
He stated that Rs60 billion was recovered from the sugar industry, while total enforcement-based recovery last year reached Rs800 billion.
He added that improvements in the tax system, including digitalisation and the faceless customs system, were helping increase transparency.
