ISLAMABAD – Budget 2026-27 is around the corner and the government is planning relief for masses as the economic pressure mounts amid choking inflation and unaffordable prices.
Ahead of Budget, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman urged government to provide immediate relief to the salaried middle class, saying that rising taxes and inflation have placed an unbearable burden on ordinary citizens.
He said the government has collected around Rs. 605 billion in income tax from the middle-class salaried segment, arguing that this class is being “severely squeezed” under the current economic framework.
He highlighted that the burden on households extends far beyond income tax, pointing to escalating costs of children’s education, electricity and gas bills, expensive petrol, various levies, and taxes on essential food items. According to him, these combined pressures have made day-to-day living increasingly difficult for salaried families across the country.
JI chief warned that the existing tax structure is contributing to financial stress among professionals and skilled workers, adding that many are being forced to consider leaving the country due to what he described as an “unsustainable” economic environment.
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman put forward a set of demands aimed at easing pressure on the salaried class, including complete abolition of income tax on monthly salaries up to Rs. 125,000, reduction of income tax rates by at least 50% for those earning above this threshold and ending maximum income tax rate from 35% to 15%.
He stressed that these measures are necessary to provide relief to the middle class, which he said is currently bearing a disproportionate share of the country’s tax burden.
The statement is expected to add further momentum to ongoing debates around taxation and relief measures ahead of upcoming budget discussions, as pressure mounts on policymakers to address inflation and declining purchasing power.
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