RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Secretary General, Jamaat e Islami, Liaqat Baloch, has said that the Federal government’s insistence on the levy of Withholding Tax was bound to ruin the country’s economy and the protest of the traders, industrialists and transporters against it was justified.

Talking to a delegation of traders in the city on Thursday, he counseled the government to withdraw the tyrannical levy on the bank transactions’ forthwith. He warned that that the government move would do incalculable harm to the national economy as the money transactions outside banks could be highly dangerous. He urged the Finance Ministry to withdraw the Withholding tax and hold meaningful talks with the chambers of commerce and industry on the issue.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Afghan refugees also called on the JI Secretary General during the day and apprised him of their problems. Talking to the delegation, Liaqat Baloch said that the Taliban had fought a series of wars against foreign invaders. He said that reports of Taliban leader Mullah Umar’s death remained unconfirmed so far but facts would be out with the passage of time. However, he said, that the greatest challenge for the Taliban and the Afghan masses was to maintain unity in their ranks in order to face the foreign invaders. He said that in the past, internal differences had caused irreparable harm to the Afghan Mujahideen and their organizations and the whole region had plunged in crisis for years. He urged the Afghan Taliban to remain united and said that the talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban should be successful so that peace returned to the region and all the conspiracies of the enemies of humanity were foiled.

A delegation of the notable from Gandasinghwala, Kasur also called on the JI leader and apprised him of the alarming increase in the crimes against young boys and girls in the area and the indifference of the police and the law enforcement agencies on this regard.

The delegation told the JI central leader that the police was reluctant to nab the culprits and they planned to hold a protest demonstration in front of the Punjab Assembly on August 4. Liaqat Baloch expressed full sympathy with the delegation and promised to lead their protest.