Modi will damage India more than any enemy, says PM Imran | The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Imran Khan has ruled out any possibility of talks with India, saying the Narendra Modi-led right wing Hindu nationalist government will cause tremendous damage to its own country more than any enemy.

“Time will tell that the Modi government will cause damage to the country more than its enemy,” the premier said while interacting with digital media representatives in Islamabad on Sunday.

He was responding to the question related to Pakistan’s foreign policy and any possibility of dialogue with the government in New Delhi. “No talks possible with India until they restore the autonomous status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir [IIOJK],” he asserted.

Pakistan downgraded its ties with India in August 2019 when the Modi-led government abrogated the autonomous status of IIOJK besides deploying tens of thousands of additional troops and putting the disputed valley under military siege.

The premier also said that the only goal of Modi government is to “spread chaos in Pakistan”.

According to the Foreign Office more than 300 innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, have been martyred in fake encounters and staged cordon-and-search operations during the last one year in the Himalayan territory.

PM Imran said Pakistan after a long time has established “very respectful” relations with the United States. “We don’t have relations with the US like in the past when it would ask us to do more.”

Besides, premier maintained that Pakistan enjoyed cordial relations with others countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan. “International relations is a dynamic process not a static. It constantly changes,” he said while responding to the question whether New Delhi overtures affecting Islamabad ties with its allies particularly Gulf countries.

“We don’t have adversarial relations with any country except India which is trying to destabilise Pakistan,” the prime minister said.

He was of the view that Pakistan’s main objective is to become financially sovereign to pursue its foreign policy goals without any external influence.

‘Change is an exercise in continuity’

Premier Imran Khan also said that bringing about change is a continuous struggle that one can retire from only at death.

He said ‘change’ is not a switch that could be turned on at one’s whim.

The prime minister said that out of 220 million people in Pakistan only 3,000 pay 70 per cent taxes.

“Half of the taxes we [the government] collect go in debt settlement of loans taken by previous governments,” the PM reiterated.

“My life would be a lot easier if I give the opposition the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), but it would be disastrous for Pakistan,” he said.

PM Imran added that the country is at a decisive point. “Our exports were growing, the construction industry was thriving,” he said, adding that the service industry was still in crisis all over the world at the moment.

Also Read: Remittances above $2 billion for sixth month in a row: PM

“When you cut expenses, you bring down the demand,” he said.

On January 5, it was reported that filing of income tax returns (ITRs) has improved significantly during tax year 2020, according to a statement issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

“Around 1.768 million taxpayers filed their income tax returns before the deadline ie December 8, 2020 while revenue received by FBR stood at Rs22 billion by this date,” it said.

“The number of filers has further increased to 2.316 million while tax collection rose to Rs43.6 billion till January 4, 2021, as compared to 2.181 million filers and collection of Rs28 billion during the corresponding period of the previous year, showing an increase of 55% in tax collection in current year.”

It is pertinent to mention that the number of income tax returns filed after the deadline of December 8, 2020 stood at 0.547 million and tax collection amount clocked in at Rs22 billion.