Peshawar – Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday assured tribal journalists from the merged districts that their professional issues would be taken up with the federal government, announcing that awards for the families of martyred journalists would soon be introduced.
Talking to a delegation of the Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) from the merged tribal districts, led by its President Hasban Ullah, at the Governor House, the governor acknowledged the sacrifices made by journalists working in the former FATA, saying many had embraced martyrdom or sustained injuries while performing their professional duties in conflict-hit areas.
The delegation highlighted the challenges faced by journalists in the merged districts, including terrorism, lack of basic facilities, corruption, poor infrastructure and communication problems. They claimed that development funds amounting to Rs100 billion had not been properly utilized in the erstwhile FATA and called for urgent government intervention.
Governor Kundi said the merged districts had remained a war zone for many years and deserved special attention from the government. He said the media was playing a vital role in strengthening democracy and highlighting public issues.
He said the problems of Khasadar personnel and residents of the merged districts would continue to be raised at every relevant forum, adding that many powers relating to the merged districts had already been transferred to the provincial government.
The Governor said he would discuss the journalists’ issues with Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar to seek practical solutions.
Referring to the planned September 27 march, Faisal Kundi said such protests would not benefit the people and stressed the need for dialogue and constitutional means to address grievances. He also called for collective efforts to eliminate drugs from society to protect future generations, saying the fight against narcotics required the support of all segments of society.
He stressed the importance of improving mobile phone network coverage in the merged districts, saying reliable connectivity was essential for the timely receipt of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) SMS alerts and access to other public services.
The governor said the doors of the Governor House were always open to journalists and the public.
Governor directs to resolve issue of withholding sales tax deduction
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday directed the formation of a committee comprising officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Department to resolve the issue of withholding sales tax deduction on purchases made by government departments.
He issued these directives while chairing a high-level meeting held at Governor House regarding the deduction of withholding sales tax on procurement of goods by government departments.
The meeting was attended by Adviser to Chief Minister on Finance Muzammil Aslam, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shahab Ali Shah, officials of Finance Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA), Planning and Development Department, Local Government Department, FBR, Accountant General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other concerned officials.
The participants held a detailed discussion on the federal withholding sales tax applicable to purchases made by government departments. Legal and financial aspects of tax deductions, existing procedures and challenges faced by departments were also reviewed during the meeting.
Governor Faisal Kundi emphasized that matters related to withholding taxes should be dealt with in accordance with the Constitution and law. He said the issue should be resolved in line with the practices and arrangements of other provinces, adding that the committee comprising FBR and Finance Department officials would work towards finding a viable solution to the matter.
