ISLAMABAD: Professor Khurshid Ahmad, Senator and Naib Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, has expressed his serious concerns on the activities of the US Ambassador Cameron Munter, particularly in the context of the lobbying he is so openly undertaking for the Reformed General Sales Tax.The report of his visit to the MQM headquarters at 90 and his statement that “if RGST is not enforced it would be a blow to the international community’s efforts made to bolster Pakistan economy” and that “enforcement of RGST is the key-condition of the IMF” are direct interventions in Pakistan’s affairs.This game of imposing US agenda on Pakistan is outrageous and totally unacceptable; questioning why there is no VAT in the U.S., but is being thrust upon Pakistan when a majority of the political parties and business stakeholders are opposed to it.The US Congress has not adopted this because its impact on the lower income groups even in the U.S., according to a congressional study would be forty times higher than that of direct tax.
Another disturbing aspect is that the revelations via WikiLeak’s documents do not seem to have affected the behavior of the US Diplomat and of the Pakistani politicians. How humiliating it is that the US Ambassador is behaving like a viceroy and the country’s political leaderships are behaving like their clients and subjects. . “The time has come”Prof. Khurshid stressed “to review the whole relationship of Pakistan with the U.S. Our political leadership must also follow the protocols of diplomatic behavior and conduct in letter and spirit. This game of manipulation and interference in our affairs and violation of our sovereignty and independence must be stopped.“Pakistan’s face has been blackened because of the behavior of its own leadership and the role that they have been playing in furthering the US interests in Pakistan”, he emphasized. “If we want to protect our independence and sovereignty a total review of the policy as well as the modus operandi of political relationships is a must.The Parliament and the people must act and should not be passive spectators of this drama of Pakistan’s continuous humiliation and subjugation”, he concluded – Sananews
