“The notice issued under the signature of Sindh Chief Secretary on imposition of Water Tax is not maintainable and neither the Federal or the Provincial Governments have any jurisdiction to levy any Water Tax as mentioned in the notice issued under the signature of Sindh Chief Secretary”. This was argued by Zaki Ahmed Khan, Vice President, and Fasihul Karim Siddiqi, Secretary General, Employers Federation of Pakistan in a meeting held in the office of Sindh Secretary Industries and Commerce Department and attended by representatives of Industrial Town Associations of Karachi.
The EFP representatives further added that there is an imperative and justified reason for all stakeholders to challenge this notice in the Court of Law. They also stated that at this crucial juncture of pressure on Industries, such arbitrary and draconian decisions of the Provincial administration are uncalled for and have vitiated the already difficult industrial environment.
The stakeholders unanimously accepted the proposal of EFP and agreed to pursue the matter in a legal way. Secretary Dr. Nasim Sahito appreciated the presence of all stakeholders and especially EFP and assured that their concerns would be immediately conveyed to the Chief Secretary. He reiterated that the Sindh Government is always willing to facilitate and support the process of rapid industrialization and would continue to seek the advice and proposals of stakeholders to ensure the setting up of more industries and also to rehabilitate those industries that are in or have gone through a difficult situation. He urged EFP to continue the excellent work it does to promote and generate meaningful employment and provide better working conditions for the workers.
