Tax Net
By Col. Riaz Jafri
(Retd)
Westridge, Rawalpindi
CBR and the government financial
pundits are scratching their pates to find ways
and means of expanding the tax net but have surprisingly
overlooked a very potent and lucrative source
of increasing their collection. It is the spiritual
shrines like Barri Imam, Golra Sharif, Data Ganj
Bakhsh, Pakpatan Sharif, Baha-ul-Haq Zakria, Shah
Shams, Sehwan Sharif, just to name a few, and
the Pirs, Makhdooms, gaddi nasheens operating
Bahashti Darwazas and doling out tabarukaat and
talismans (ganda taweez). Each one of them collects
crores of rupees from devotees and followers (mureeds),
which is abundantly visible from their lifestyle
of Pajeros and Rolexes, but they are probably
exempt from any form of taxation. Could some one
dare to bring them into the tax net please?
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