Teachers observe strike against withdrawal of tax rebate
Karachi:May 26:Teachers including of the University of Karachi on Wednesday observed a one-hour pen-down strike on the call of Federation of All Pakistan Academic Staff Associations (Fapuasa) to protest the withdrawal of 75 percent income tax rebate.
Fapuasa secretary general also president of the Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS), Dr Shakeel Farooqi, censured the government for generating additional revenues for its expenses by withdrawing the income tax exemption – in fiscal 2013-14 - enjoyed by fulltime teachers, researchers, scholars and scientists.
Banners hung at various corners of KU’s campus called for the prime minister and the finance minister to restore the tax refund.
Dr Farooqi said teachers across the country are expecting the Minister of Finance Ishaq Dar to announce the relief in his budget speech for fiscal 2017-18.
Dr Farooqi opined that the move would only add a nominal amount of money to the government’s funds but would wreak havoc on the life of an individual white-collar teacher.
He said the government on the one hand continues to blow its trumpet on providing quality education and promoting research, but, on the other hand, squeezed the pockets of the competent and dedicated teaching community.
The teachers’ representative said they work after office hours and spend a significant amount on books, other reading materials, stationary, services among others things from their own pockets. He added that, “Teachers do all of this to keep themselves abreast with advancements in knowledge, thus, keeping their profession above all personal gains.”
He said all universities of Pakistan, which are members of the Fapuasa, observed the protests. Dr Farooqi urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pay heed to the matter and instruct the ministry of finance and central board of revenue to restore the 75 percent tax refund.The news.
