Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has declared the agricultural tax notification issued through an executive order as null and void, reaffirming that only the elected legislature has the authority to impose taxes.
Delivering his decision on the floor of the Punjab Assembly, the speaker said that no executive authority, including officials from the Board of Revenue, has the legal power to levy taxes.
He stated that such actions violate the Assembly’s privilege and bypass the constitutional process required for taxation. The speaker also directed the Standing Committee on Legislation to review all taxes imposed through executive actions, while instructing the Law Committee to submit a report within 15 days.
The ruling was welcomed by lawmakers, who thumped their desks in approval. The Assembly further clarified that any changes in agricultural income tax rates must be presented during the budget session, but the government failed to table the relevant notifications for the fiscal year 2025–26.
As a result, all such notifications have been declared unconstitutional and unlawful, and any tax collection carried out under them has been termed illegal.
The session, which began with a delay of 51 minutes, was presided over by Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar.
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