Islamabad:
On Thursday, the Supreme Court examined the process of introducing and approval of the controversial super tax, the judges wondering if the parliamentarians really envisaged public interests before passing such measures.
A constitutional bench of five members led by Judge Amicin Khan heard the case on the levy of Super Tax. During the procedure, judge Jamal Khan Mandokhail asked questions about the appropriate procedure to file a bill in Parliament.
The lawyer for taxpayers argued that the development of policies and tax collection were entirely separate domains. “Tax collectors come from FBR [Federal Board of Revenue]whose work is only to collect. The development of policies rests with parliament. If I were a decision maker, I would consult experts to determine if a measure benefits or harm the public, “he said.
Judge Hassan Azhar Rizvi observed that the members of the Parliament were elected by the people and should therefore be aware of their problems. “Have parliamentarians already made proposals by keeping in mind public problems? Do committees debate bills or simply transmit them upon arrival?” He pointed out.
The lawyer argued that no tax expert had never been invited to the National Assembly to assess the impact of a tax. He said that the Minister of Finance had already expressed his support for super taxes, but that the level of debate in Parliament is below what is happening in the committees.
