Express tribune pk

The writer is doing MPhil in Political Science. He can be reached at ‘Tomorrow’, an offing that everyone is queasy about. What happens when we think of tomorrow? All of us get worried. I use the words ‘offing’ and ‘queasy’ because tomorrow is as far as the depth of an ocean yet it is just ‘tomorrow’; and we always have nausea, a strange feeling that if we might see a good tomorrow or not. The distance that each and everyone one of us is trying to achieve towards tomorrow is mostly covered by one element — the element upon which we all cling, and it is called ‘hope’. This hope has conquered today’s man to some unlimited extent. Man has found hope an antidote to the nausea for tomorrow, as it gives him a hankering for odds that no one wishes to face. Thus, this hope is the key to the door that has opened a ‘today’ upon us with all the unrest around and perhaps it will also decide an unpredictable tomorrow for us that we have never imagined. So, where does this hope take us today? Does it have anything to do with politics? Can this hope give us the tomorrow we desire? Well, hope has everything to do with a man’s life. Since Pakistan is an independent state, a republic, I believe that has everything to do with its citizens. Citizens that are appointed to designated positions, citizens that hold the country’s fate, and citizens that steer the society to a fallacy of the future with their claims. All are the victims of their hopes. Do you want to blame someone? Let’s start with ...

• سمندری طوفان سندھ کی ساحلی پٹی میں داخل، اگلے چند گھنٹے اہم • آج کا دن کیسا رہے گا • میئر کراچی انتخاب، پی ٹی آئی نے اراکین کی غیر حاضری کے معاملے پر تحقیقاتی کمیٹی قائم کردی • منی رتنم لیجنڈری اے آر رحمان کو فلم ’بمبئی‘ سے کیوں فارغ کرنا چاہتے تھے؟ • بھارتی خواتین کھلاڑیوں کو جنسی ہراساں کرنے والے ریسلنگ فیڈریشن کے صدر کیخلاف کارروائی کا آغاز • ’جوائے لینڈ ’سال 2023 کی بہترین فلم‘ قرار • حکومت کا پیٹرولیم مصنوعات کی قیمتیں برقرار رکھنے کا اعلان • ڈسکہ میں نوجوان لڑکی کا موٹروے پولیس کے افسر پر زیادتی کی کوشش کا الزام

KARACHI: While the continuation of the 0.25% income tax facility for the Information Technology (IT) sector – as it is now categorised as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – until June 30, 2026, is seen as a positive step, IT sector experts are expressing their disappointment with the budget, stating that the government has failed to meet their demands aimed at further boosting the industry. In his budget speech for the fiscal year 2023-24, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar acknowledged the significant role of the IT and IT Enabled Services (ITeS) sectors in Pakistan’s economic growth. Despite challenges posed by the global economy, the minister expressed confidence in the sector’s potential to be the engine of growth in the coming years. While the government claims that Pakistan ranks second globally in terms of freelancers contributing to its business, industry experts highlight the fluctuating nature of this statistic across different platforms and timeframes. Nevertheless, the government emphasised the importance of the IT sector by extending the 0.25% income tax facility until June 30, 2026. However, speaking to The Express Tribune, Pakistan Software Houses Association ( To address some of the challenges faced by freelancers, the government announced exemptions from sales tax registration and filing for freelancers earning up to $24,000 annually. Simplified tax return forms will be issued to facilitate their business environment. The budget also includes provisions to supp...