LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Assembly on Thursday approved the Punjab Agricultural Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2024, making it the first province to pass such legislation.
The move, however, was met with resistance, as lawmakers from the PPP and PTI staged a walkout to protest the rejection of their proposed amendments.
The bill now awaits the governor’s approval, but sources suggest it may be returned to the assembly for further review. Once resubmitted and approved, it will officially become law.
The legislation introduces a tax on agricultural income, including income derived from livestock, which has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers who claim it aligns with the IMF’s agenda.
According to the bill, higher-income farmers will be subject to taxation, and tax defaulters will incur a daily penalty of 0.1% of their total income.
Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman described the bill as a step towards establishing a new “regime of agriculture.”
Opposition voices, however, expressed strong disapproval. PPP parliamentary leader Syed Ali Haider Gilani criticized the government for not sharing the draft bill, emphasizing his party’s pro-farmer stance. “The issue of crop growers is highly sensitive, and no pressure on farmers can be justified,” he said.
PTI senior legislator Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan called it a “black day” for agriculture, arguing that the sector should not be taxed. He pointed out that opposition recommendations were excluded from the committee report presented to the assembly and claimed the bill violated Article 142 of the Constitution, which he said does not allow taxation on agriculture.
PTI MPA Ahmar Rasheed Bhatti also condemned the legislation, labeling it “anti-farmer” and accusing the government of ignoring the needs of rural communities.
Despite the controversy, the government remains firm in its stance, promoting the bill as a step towards equitable taxation in agriculture.
