The Pakistan Chemicals and Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) has vehemently opposed the recently enforced Income Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, labeling it as a draconian and inequitable policy.

The association has called upon President Asif Ali Zardari and the Ministry of Law and Justice to annul the ordinance, citing rising distress within the business sector and cautioning that ignoring these concerns could gravely impact the national economy.

PCDMA Chairman Salim Valimuhammad, alongside Danish Saleem, Advisor to the Subcommittee for Sales Tax and Income Tax, criticized the ordinance for being enacted without stakeholder engagement or a parliamentary discussion on such pivotal legislation. This oversight, they argue, has not only eroded the business sector’s trust but also compromised the authority of the legal system.

Valimuhammad expressed alarm over specific clauses, namely Sections 138(3A) and 140(6A), which he claims nullify judicial relief by enforcing immediate recovery of contested tax dues, even in instances where judicial relief has been granted. This, he asserts, infringes on taxpayers’ rights to impartial adjudication.

He further condemned the provision allowing inland revenue officials to operate within business premises, describing it as an intrusive practice that could lead to the intimidation of taxpayers.

The PCDMA’s head implored President Zardari and the Ministry of Law and Justice to retract the contentious ordinance and avoid any measures detrimental to business interests to maintain seamless economic operations. He underscored the crucial role of a robust commercial environment in securing government revenue.

Valimuhammad concluded with a stark warning: governmental policies that compel business closures would ultimately result in substantial fiscal losses for the state itself.