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
https://arab.news/jquev
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
In Peshawar, 76-year-old artist struggles to keep near-extinct Mughal wax art alive
- Craft involves intricate process using heated wax, oil, pigments, limestone to create textured, miniature artworks
- Riaz Ahmad, who has trained his son in wax art, says he hopes to train more people to preserve traditional craft
PESHAWAR: Riaz Ahmad, 76, stirs wax in a small plastic can with a long chopstick, takes it out on the palm of his left hand and adds natural color before drawing designs on a piece of cloth.
Surrounded by several such pieces of black cloth with unique art, Ahmad strives every passing day to keep the 500-year-old, Mughal-era wax art alive at his home near the Lahori Gate in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar.
Ahmad comes from a well-known family of wax artists who were based in Shillong and Darjeeling in present-day India and had migrated to Peshawar during the 1947 partition of the sub-continent.
His work remains rooted in tradition, faithfully repeating patterns passed down through generations and winning Ahmad several awards both at home and abroad in recognition of his dedication.
“I have been making the same Mughal era designs that my forefathers used to make,” he told Arab News last week.
“I went to India in 2004, where I received the UNESCO Seal of Excellence [for Handicrafts] award... On 23 March, 2012, the Government of Pakistan awarded me the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.”
The near-extinct traditional craft, which is believed to have originated in Central Asia and refined under the Mughal patronage, particularly in Peshawar, involves an intricate process using heated wax, linseed oil, powdered pigments, and limestone to create detailed, textured and often colorful miniature artworks by hand.
Ahmad learnt wax art from his father, Miran Bakhsh, nearly six decades ago.
“My parents used to do this work in Shillong and Darjeeling [in present-day India]. They had a shop there, and after the Partition, they migrated to Peshawar, Pakistan,” he said. “When they came here, they started doing the same work.”
A basic piece of his work costs around Rs3,000 ($10.7). A larger piece made on order can fetch between Rs5,000 and Rs15,000 ($17-$53), but such orders are rare.
“Wax and colors have become expensive. When I sell a piece for Rs3,000, around Rs1,000 goes into expenses, and Rs2,000 is my daily wage,” Ahmad said.
But the 76-year-old worries more about the future of the art form, which he insists cannot be learned quickly and requires “love and dedication.”
“Some people say they want to come, some from Karachi and some from Lahore, but it becomes difficult for me to go there or for them to come here,” he said.
Most wax artists in Peshawar have abandoned the art due to a lack of institutional support, according to Ahmad, who relies primarily on exhibitions to earn a living.
“The reason [for the decline of this art form] is that the government does not pay attention. They are caught in their own conflicts, and the culture is suffering,” Ahmad said.
“Other artists have left this art. Some are selling rice and some are driving rickshaws,” he added. “I have been doing this work inside my house. If there is any event, we go there and sell our art.”
Saad Bin Awais, a spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), said the government has engaged artisans in several projects. He said some of these projects have come to an end while others are ongoing.
“Riaz Ahmad is the only wax artist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the authority is serious about facilitating him,” he said, adding that the KPCTA facilitates Ahmad’s participation in exhibitions across the country to showcase his art.
“We have also been collecting data of artists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for an upcoming project to facilitate them in any way possible.”
Ahmad has trained his son, Fayyaz, in wax art who now practices it in Islamabad. The septuagenarian says he wishes to train more people to preserve the dying art form.
“I cannot leave this work,” he said. “I will continue this art even though my hands shake.”
