ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Tuesday assured Pakistani mobile and auto part manufacturers of resolving their post-budget issues to promote local production, the Pakistani commerce ministry said.
The statement came after a meeting of the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) members and representatives of mobile phone manufacturers with Khan to address the issues impacting local manufacturing of automobiles and mobile phones.
PAAPAM Chairman Abdul Rehman Aziz called for the imposition of a regulatory duty (RD) across on all old and used vehicles and said that 70 percent of used, imported cars below 1,300cc were exempt from the newly imposed RD.
In the Budget 2024-25, a 15 percent RD was imposed on used, imported cars above 1,300cc at the request of local assemblers, according to Aziz. But this duty did not resolve their issue as small vehicles, which are imported in large numbers, were exempted from it.
“Federal Minister Jam Kamal Khan assured that these concerns would be addressed in consultation with the Ministry of Industry and Production, the Ministry of Finance, and the FBR (Federal Board of Revenue),” the commerce ministry said in a statement.
Cash-strapped Pakistan passed its tax-heavy budget last month to boost state revenues to help it win approval from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan to stave off another economic meltdown.
The South Asian country has set a challenging tax revenue target of 13 trillion rupees ($47 billion) for the year starting July 1, a near-40 percent jump from the previous year, and a sharp drop in its fiscal deficit to 5.9 percent of GDP from 7.4 percent for the previous year.
In their meeting with the commerce minister, representatives of mobile manufacturers, led by Aamir Allahwala, demanded a ban on the import of old mobile phones to support the local industry.
They also requested a specific rate for the General Sales Tax (GST) instead of the current 18 percent GST based on value, which they said could lead to misdeclaration of values at the import stage and adversely affect the local industry.
Khan pledged all-possible support to encourage local manufacturing of auto parts and mobile phones, urging industrialists to prioritize exports.
Pakistan minister assures mobile, auto part makers of resolving budget issues to boost local production
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Pakistan minister assures mobile, auto part makers of resolving budget issues to boost local production
- Automakers demand government impose regulatory duty on used, imported vehicles below 1,300cc
- Mobile manufacturers call for a ban on the import of old mobile phones to support the local industry
Suicide bomber kills at least five at wedding in northwest Pakistan
- Attack took place in Dera Ismail Khan, targeting the home of a local peace committee member
- Peace committees are community-based groups that report militant activity to security forces
PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber killed at least five people and wounded 10 others after detonating explosives at a wedding ceremony in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, officials said, in an attack that underscored persistent militant violence in the country’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The blast took place at the home of a local peace committee member in Dera Ismail Khan district, where guests had gathered for a wedding, police and emergency officials said.
Peace committees in the region are informal, community-based groups that work with security forces to report militant activity and maintain order, making their members frequent targets of attacks.
“A blast occurred near Qureshi Moor in Dera Ismail Khan. Authorities have recovered five bodies and shifted 10 injured to hospital,” said Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the provincial Rescue 1122 emergency service, adding that the rescue operation was ongoing.
Police said the attacker blew himself up inside the house during the ceremony and that the bomber’s head had been recovered, confirming it was a suicide attack.
Several members of the local peace committee were present at the time, raising fears the toll could rise.
District Police Officer Sajjad Ahmed Sahibzada said authorities had launched an investigation into the incident, while security forces sealed off the area.
Militant attacks have surged in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the Taliban returned to power in neighboring
Afghanistan in 2021, with the administration in Islamabad blaming the Afghan government for “facilitating” cross-border attacks targeting Pakistani civilians and security forces. However, Kabul has repeatedly denied the allegation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also seen frequent intelligence-based operations by security forces targeting suspected militants.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack.
