Naveed Qamar

A parliamentary committee in Pakistan questioned the government's mobile phone taxation policy and proposed taxes on high-end electric vehicles. The committee finalized recommendations for the Finance Bill 2026, highlighting a tiered tax structure for imported mobile phones and revenue figures from Apple devices. Tax relief for airlines was extended beyond Pakistan International Airlines, but lawmakers raised concerns about consumer relief and potential revenue shortfalls.

A Pakistani parliamentary committee criticized the government for collecting climate levies without initiating concrete projects, approved an Islamabad token tax hike, and demanded stricter enforcement of petroleum levies from oil marketing companies. The panel, chaired by Naveed Qamar, emphasized aligning climate policies with IMF commitments and highlighted Pakistan's vulnerability to environmental risks.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated that the proposed FY27 budget aims to accelerate sustainable economic growth observed in the past two years. The budget faced Senate recommendations and debates, with some reservations raised, but Aurangzeb emphasized it is broadly seen as pro-growth. He addressed concerns about discrepancies in GDP growth and methodology, clarifying that no changes were made to economic indicator reporting methods.