PROVINCE REPORT
Peshawar: The Tobacco Action Committee (TAC)representing tobacco growers, exporters, and small-scale manufacturers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government to withdraw heavy taxes and stop alleged harassment, failing which they announced a decisive long march toward Islamabad.
The announcement was made during a massive protest rally organized by the TAC in the ‘Jaganat’ area, which drew thousands of farmers and business owners from various districts across the province.
Addressing the gathering, TAC Chairman Irshad Khan, alongside prominent leaders Buland Iqbal Khan Tarakai, Iftikhar Khan, Haji Iqbal Khan, and Sohail Khan, strongly condemned the current fiscal policies targeting the tobacco sector.
The speakers argued that under the Constitution of Pakistan, no tax can be levied on agricultural crops. They termed the imposition of a Rs. 390 per kilogram tax on tobacco—the sole cash crop of the terrorism-affected province—as an act of economic injustice and sheer oppression against poor farmers.
Lashing out at multinational corporations, the alliance leaders accused foreign tobacco companies of acting like the modern-day East India Company, exploiting local farmers and draining capital out of the country. They specifically alleged that Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) had unilaterally terminated half of its tobacco purchase agreements with local growers, sparking severe anxiety and resentment among landowners.
The leaders demanded that multinational firms immediately honor their original contracts and complete the tobacco procurement process.
Furthermore, the committee members slammed the heavy-handed approach of state regulatory bodies. They stated that despite the presence of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Excise department, and Rangers personnel, alongside the implementation of the ‘Track and Trace System’ in local industries, small-scale manufacturers are continually harassed under baseless allegations of tax evasion.
”We have met with the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and heads of all major political parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to apprise them of our grievances,” the TAC leadership stated. They expressed gratitude to parliamentarians from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for raising their voice on the floor of the parliament.
Warning the administration of a massive agitation movement, the committee announced a two-phased protest strategy. In the first phase, protest rallies and sit-ins will be organized across all districts of KP. If the government fails to withdraw the “unjust tax” and halt the harassment of local businesses within 15 days, the second phase will witness a final, decisive march to Islamabad.
The organizers made it clear that the government would be held entirely responsible for any law and order situation arising from the protests.
