Peshawar - Fourteen lawmakers of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have not paid any tax for the year ending June 2018, according to a directory of tax returns released by the Federal Board of Revenue in September 2020.

KP Advisor on Information and Higher Education Kamran Bangash has not paid any tax, Provincial Minister for Health and Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra paid only Rs.341 tax, the smallest amount for the year paid by any provincial lawmaker, while Chief Minister Mahmood Khan paid Rs.235,982 tax for the year. Similarly, the FBR list mentions that maximum tax for the year was paid by KP Minister for Housing Amjad Afridi, i.e Rs.8.053 million. 

The MPAs who have not paid any tax for the year are: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Humayun Khan, Muhammad Zahir Shah, Riaz Khan, Wajidullah Khan, Kamran Khan Bangash, Rabia Basri, and Pukhtoon Yar Khan; Awami National Party’s Shahida, Shagufta Malik, Samar Haroon Bilour and Waqar Ahmed Khan; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan’s Shah Dad Khan and Rehana Ismail, and Pakistan Peoples’ Party’s Sher Azam Khan.

Among other cabinet members ok KP, Education Minister Akbar Ayub paid Rs.691,615 tax, Transport Minister Shah Muhammad paid Rs.186,440, KP Advisor Ziaullah paid Rs.135,362, KP Minister for Food Qalandar Lodhi paid Rs.228,418, Hisham Inamullah paid Rs.54,704, Taj Muhammad paid Rs.279,228 and Karim Khan paid Rs.165,385.

Meanwhile, the KP cabinet has been reshuffled. According to a notification of the Administration Department, Kamran Bangash, Advisor on Information, has also been given the portfolio of Higher Education, Shahram Khan was given the Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry, Akbar Ayub has got the Ministry for Local Government Rural Development, Anwar Zeb Khan got Zakat and Ushr Department, Khaliq-ur-Rehman has been assigned Food Department, Riaz Khan obtained the Communication and Works Ministry.