Here comes another decision of PTI government that has landed it in hot waters. This time Imran Khan’s Naya Pakistan has decided to impose gunnah tax on cigarettes and carbonated drinks to curb smoking. Now folks on social media who mostly seem to agree with this initiative are trolling government over the name for many reasons.
Criticism on Gunnah Tax
Even a government minister Faisal Vawda criticized this name Gunnah tax and asked if we name smoking as gunnah then what are we going to call other sins.
I’m a chain cigarette smoker myself and I appreciate all the measures taken by the government to discourage smoking and I understand it’s injurious to health but this term “Gunnah Tax” is inappropriate. If this is gunnah then what would we name and term the actual gunnahs.
— Senator Faisal Vawda (@FaisalVawdaPTI) December 4, 2018
As If criticism on 100 Days Performance Ad was not enough that this Gunnah Tax thing came.
These #PTIministers are leaving no stone unturned in being a laughing stock!!! #GunahTax
— F!💤a Rahman (@FizzaRahman) December 4, 2018
Trolls were coming in form of some hilarious suggestions. Like, this user recommended dividing this tax into smaller sin and bigger sin according to quantity of cigarette one smokes.
ہمارا مطالبہ ہےکہ اس ٹیکس کو ۲ حصوں میں تقسیم کیا جائے
۱۔گناھ صغیرہ ٹیکس(سادہ سگریٹ)۲ـگناھ کبیرہ ٹیکس( لوڈ سگریٹ)
گناھ صغیرہ پہ دو روپے جبکہ لوڈ سگریٹ پہ ۵روپے ٹیکس رکھا جائے
بنانے کے چکر سے جان چھوٹے گی لوڈ پیکٹ میسر ہوں گے
متفق ہیں توRtکریں
نہیں توlike کریں#GunahTax pic.twitter.com/Y0sFPUV4eD
— Junaid Raza Zaidi (@junaidraza01) December 4, 2018
And this guy wanted to say “Jab Jeena Haram Ho Jaaye to Nasha bhi Halal Ho Jaata Hai”
smoking pe gunnah tax lagaya hai to un pe do gunna tax bhi lagna chahiye jo jeena haram karty hain to nasha halal ho jata hai @ImranKhanPTI @fawadchaudhry @Asad_Umar #GunahTax
— that person (@BigGlonk) December 5, 2018
This dude also referred to controversial picture of smoking Mahira Khan with Ranbir Kapoor and also Imran Khan’s youth days to make case for cigarette smoking, which was actually funny.
Dude @ImranKhanPTI apni jawaani mein har mazzay kar ke abb hamarey time pe tumhen gunnah yaad aa gaya hai? Aesay nahi challega. #IStandWithMahiraKhan pic.twitter.com/OzSI7674HP
— SIR .. (@SirJohnRoe) December 4, 2018
A Reference to Universal Term Sin Tax
Few people were defending this term by referring to Sin Tax which is still used in different countries of the world. According to them there was nothing wrong in this name as it was merely a translation. And, the name might be helpful in curbing smoking as it may make smokers realize about committing a sin and thus prompting them to quit.
https://twitter.com/perseph_/status/1070230700593475584
Faisal bhai, this is an official term and category being used in the world as *Sin Tax*
Media translated it as *Gunah Tax* https://t.co/XOpM2WZaQN
— • S I D R A • (@imran_sidra) December 5, 2018
The worn out argument “the world has reached the moon and we are still talking about gunnah and sawab” also echoed in the form of Spacex’s recent initiatives.
Space X launched 64 satellites all at once and Pakistan launched a #gunahtax (sin tax) on cigarettes!
— ItsIftI🗯 (@drloggerhead) December 4, 2018
A Gunnah Tax on smoking but what about other sins like doing drugs etc.
no gunah tax on Zannah, Cocaine, and other substances but cig… ZULM! 🤣👍🏽
— Mirza A. Baig (@k0mmunicat0r) December 5, 2018
It was not only criticism, people were suggesting alternative names as well.
#SmokingTax
A tax on smokers is certainly a grt step 2wrds a healthy Pakistan but it must be named "Smoke tax", " cigarette tax" or "health tax". " Gunah tax" sounds ridiculous.And smoking ain't the only sin we commit.Or all sins must b https://t.co/SwFtsiqIzC gv it a decent name— jeannie (@2014jaennie) December 5, 2018
What an idea by the way. If we start imposing Gunnah tax on every single sin then government can indeed generate surplus revenue, after all human beings are prone to sinning. And, this Twitter user was right to point out the vast scope of this tax.
https://twitter.com/desidimagh/status/1070241821895340032
Trolls also targeted people who voted for PTI to give them at least one chance in center.
Can't wait to see husband's reaction on #GunahTax 😂😂
Wo Gunah.Gar shaks elections se pahle kahte tha… #EkChanceTohDou 😏😏😎😜😂— laviع azishن (@naazzish) December 4, 2018
Here emerged some genuine questions as well.
اگر سگریٹ نوشی کو گناہ مان لیا جائے تو سوال یہ پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ کیا ٹیکس لگا کر دیگر گناہوں کی سہولت بھی مل سکتی ہے؟#گناہ_ٹیکس#GunahTax
— M. Ammar Gondal (@AmaarGondal) December 5, 2018
Again they were asking why only smoking why other sins shouldn’t come in this jurisdiction.
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