The Finance Supplementary (Amendment) Bill, 2018

Minister Asad Umar said overseas Pakistanis and those acquiring property through inheritance would be exempted.

He said those purchasing vehicles of capacity less than 200-CC would also be exempted from this restriction. He said fine would be imposed if someone acquires property or vehicle despite being non-filer.

The Minister said modern technology would be used to expand the tax net and a beginning has been made by issuing notices to 169 big non-filers.

He said second phase of the campaign would also be launched this week and the number of notices would reach to thousands.

The Finance Minister appealed to the well-to-do to pay their due taxes and contribution towards progress of the country. He held out an assurance on behalf of the Prime Minister that the tax money would be utilized judiciously.

Asad Umar clarified that the supplementary budgetary proposals would be effective from first of July this year.

He said all development projects of Balochistan would be completed.

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Shahbaz Sharif has said the PML-N government ended power shortage in the country by adding new electricity to the system.

Responding to Finance Minister Asad Umar’s winding up speech in the House, he said credit goes to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for brining huge Chinese investment under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He said PML-N had saved 160 billion rupees by installing affordable electricity projects.

Former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said PPP will welcome forensic audit of all power projects.

The House unanimously adopted a resolution that National Anthem should be played after the recitation of Holy Quran and Naat on the commencement of every session of the lower house.

The resolution was moved by Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi.

The National Assembly passed “The Finance Supplementary (Amendment) Bill, 2018 with majority vote.

Earlier, taking part in the debate on the bill, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the mini budget does not contain anything to enhance tax-net as common Pakistanis and even those, who voted for PTI, have been ignored in it.

He questioned how the government will fulfill its 100-day plan when it has cut down 250 billion rupees in the development, fourteen billion in health, and six billion rupees in higher education sectors. He said no relief has been provided to peasant class.

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said government should withdraw its decision to facilitate non-filers buy property and vehicles.

He said steps should be taken to enhance industrial production, exports, and tax net. He said cut in development budget will lead to unemployment in the country.

The National Assembly adopted a resolution amending the constitution of a special committee of the parliament to probe rigging in last general election.

According to the amendment, moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, the committee will comprise thirty members having equal representation from the treasury and the opposition benches.

Ten of these members will be taken from Senate.

Chairman of the committee will be from government side.

The House has now been prorogued.