Residents of Malakand division still await official tax‑exemption order following the government announcement, despite no notification issued yet.

Malakand Division residents are waiting for a formal notice that will enforce a tax exemption announced by the provincial government. The Express Tribune reports that no official notification has been issued since the announcement. The announcement was made at a jirga by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI K‑P President Junaid Akbar Khan. They said provincial taxes would be abolished immediately in all districts of the division. Since the announcement, residents and traders welcomed the decision, but the lack of a notification has created uncertainty. Citizens have asked for immediate legal implementation if the government truly wants to abolish provincial taxes. Meanwhile, federal taxes continue to be imposed by the Federal Board of Revenue. Traders and industrialists say that these federal levies disrupt business and add to the division’s unease. Historically, Malakand Division had a special constitutional status. After the former states of Swat, Dir and Chitral merged into Pakistan, the area was exempt from many federal laws and taxes. Article 247 of the 1973 Constitution originally protected this status. After the 25th Constitutional Amendment abolished Article 247, legal questions about the division’s tax exoneration remain. Recent protests, strikes and campaigns by traders against federal taxes have occurred in the division. Citizens and trader organisations have called on Chief Minister Afridi to issue a formal notification immediately. They also urge the federal government and the FBR to adopt a clear policy reflecting the division’s historical and legal status. The people of Malakand division say they will keep raising their voice on democratic and legal forums until practical steps, legal protection and an official notification are provided.