Protests against the imposition of new taxes intensified across Malakand Division on Sunday as traders, lawyers, political leaders, local elders, and residents staged large rallies in Swat, Lower Dir, and Bajaur, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the taxation policy. Demonstrators urged both the federal and provincial governments to reverse the decision, warning that a broader protest movement would be launched if their demands remained unaddressed.
In Swat, a large demonstration brought together representatives from the legal community, business organizations, political parties, and civil society. Addressing the gathering, speakers emphasized that the people of Malakand have endured years of hardship, including the 2005 earthquake, militancy, military operations, internal displacement, and devastating floods. They argued that despite these challenges, the region has not received sufficient development projects or economic support, making the introduction of new taxes an additional burden on already struggling communities.
Leaders from various political parties and trader organizations maintained that the taxation policy would negatively affect businesses, increase financial pressure on local residents, and slow down economic recovery in the region. They warned that if the government failed to withdraw the taxes, protest demonstrations would expand across the entire Malakand Division.
In Lower Dir, Jamaat-e-Islami organized a separate rally in Timergara, where participants marched through major roads before gathering at Gorgorai Chowk. Speakers reiterated that while they were not opposed to taxation as a principle, they believed the commitments made to the people of Malakand at the time of the region’s merger with Pakistan in 1969 had not been fulfilled. According to protest leaders, Malakand was promised tax exemptions for a specified period, while development commitments and improvements in public services remained incomplete.
A similar protest was held in Bajaur, where traders, political workers, and members of various organizations criticized the federal government’s taxation policy. Protesters argued that imposing new taxes on a region facing persistent security concerns, economic challenges, poverty, and underdevelopment was both unfair and untimely. They also referred to the Sartaj Aziz Commission recommendations, claiming that the region was expected to retain its tax-free status until 2028, while also calling on the government to fulfill its commitments regarding development funding and the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
Protest leaders announced that representatives from political parties, trader associations, and tribal districts, along with stakeholders from Malakand Division, are expected to meet in Peshawar on July 16 to finalize plans for a larger protest rally in Islamabad against the taxation policy.
The demonstrations reflect growing public concern over taxation, economic conditions, and regional development, with protesters insisting that long-standing commitments to Malakand’s people should be honored before any new tax measures are implemented.
