By: SYED SHAHABUDDIN
Former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians, (PTIP) Mahmood Khan, has strongly criticized the federal and provincial budgets for the fiscal year 2025–26, calling them anti-people. He condemned the imposition of taxes on the underdeveloped and terrorism-affected regions, especially the former FATA and Malakand Division, as a grave injustice to the poor.
Mahmood Khan stated that these areas have suffered decades of deprivation and conflict, and instead of offering them relief, the government has burdened them further through taxation. He reminded that the federal government had earlier promised to declare these regions as tax-free zones, a commitment that has now been blatantly ignored. He also slammed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, terming its budget as superficial, non-serious, and disconnected from ground realities. He criticized the lack of any concrete strategy to address inflation, unemployment, and the rehabilitation needs of the affected population.
The former Chief Minister demanded that the federal government immediately revoke its decision to impose taxes on former FATA and PATA regions and urged both federal and provincial authorities to revise their budgets and take practical measures to provide real relief to the poor and marginalized segments. He warned that if this injustice continues, a protest movement will be launched to defend the rights of the affected people.
