KARACHI: Penalties for tax evasions and default in their payments have been enhan­ced. The Pakistan Parliament on Thursday [Dec 29] passed the Finance Minister’s Bill to amend the Income Tax and Business Profit Tax Act, to make their administration “more effective”. Punishment for making false declarations in the prescribed Income Tax and Business Profit Tax returns have been increased from six months simple imprisonment and fine upto Rs 1,000, to three years imprisonment rigorous or simple and an unlimited fine.

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies in Baghdad,] Siddiq Shanshal, Deputy Leader of the Iraqi Independence Party, just back from Damascus, wrote … today [Dec 29] that a political and military clash was imminent in Syria. He said that Nazim-el-Kodsi Bey’s failure to form a cabinet after the Dec 19 coup was finally due to insistence by Col Abid Shishak Ali, who led the Army intervention, that his nominee Akram Harwani, be appointed as Minister of Defence. …

Siddiq said he was, therefore, certain that a political and military clash was imminent in Syria.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2024