Updated at: 1125 PST, Monday, September 27, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his 25 ministers, in sworn affidavits submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan at the time of their elections, have admitted that they don’t pay income taxes and most shockingly, Finance Minister Hafiz Sheikh and his deputy Hina Rabbani Khar, are among them.
These details were released officially by the ECP to this correspondent after a two-month wait. An application addressed to the chief election commissioner, requesting for tax return details of all MNAs, senators and MPAs was made and remained in process for two months. Finally, tax payment details of the MNAs and senators were provided officially while details of the MPAs are still awaited.
The prime minister has a jumbo-size cabinet of 61 members: 43 federal ministers and 18 state ministers. Approximate average expenditure on one minister in one day is Rs100,000 according to a renowned economist Dr Farrukh Saleem. It is, however, yet to be known how much the taxpayers pay for the prime minister per day. Dr Farrukh said that there is a budgetary allocation for PM’s foreign trip costing public exchequer three million rupees per day.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his 25 ministers, in sworn affidavits submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan at the time of their elections, have admitted that they don’t pay income taxes and most shockingly, Finance Minister Hafiz Sheikh and his deputy Hina Rabbani Khar, are among them.These details were released officially by the ECP to this correspondent after a two-month wait. An application addressed to the chief election commissioner, requesting for tax return details of all MNAs, senators and MPAs was made and remained in process for two months. Finally, tax payment details of the MNAs and senators were provided officially while details of the MPAs are still awaited.
The prime minister has a jumbo-size cabinet of 61 members: 43 federal ministers and 18 state ministers. Approximate average expenditure on one minister in one day is Rs100,000 according to a renowned economist Dr Farrukh Saleem. It is, however, yet to be known how much the taxpayers pay for the prime minister per day. Dr Farrukh said that there is a budgetary allocation for PM’s foreign trip costing public exchequer three million rupees per day.
