The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) voiced concerns against the newly promulgated Ordinance No. IV of 2025, issued on May 2, terming it “a draconian measure” with “far-reaching and concerning amendments to the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001”. In a statement released on Tuesday, APTMA urged the government to immediately withdraw these amendments and engage with stakeholders “to ensure that any tax reforms are fair, transparent, and respectful of the rule of law”. The federal government on Saturday promulgated “Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025” for immediate/ sudden recovery from taxpayers’ bank accounts or other movable/ immovable properties and sealing of business premises after the decision from higher courts without any further notice. The ordinance has also empowered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to depute tax officials at manufacturing/ business premises to monitor production, supply, and stock of unsold goods. However, APTMA, one of the country’s largest trade organization, expressed concerns that the amendments inserted into Sections 138 and 140 of the Income Tax Ordinance effectively “strip taxpayers of their legal rights and protections under the law”. “The changes empower the FBR beyond reason and above the High Courts and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. “The…