Polio vaccine
Madam,
This letter refers to the rumours being spread in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding adverse effects of polio vaccines. These rumours have made thousands of parents nervous and anxious. Many rushed to schools and took their kids to hospitals.
These rumours spread like a wild fire. The intensity of the rumour was such that it even created law and order situation which was difficult to control. It was a well-planed conspiracy, in which it was alleged that children had suffered reactions and had even died because of the vaccines.
A similar rumour emerged one day that children were being vaccinated in schools under the pretext of smallpox and typhoid vaccines. It was alleged that this was meant to make them impotent. Thousands of panicked parents rushed to schools to take their children and refused to get them vaccinated against those two diseases. It was unfortunate because government had arranged special vaccination teams to visit schools as a precautionary step against the spread of those deadly diseases.
How unfortunate that in our country that whenever the government initiate any welfare scheme for future of the coming generations, conspiracies are hatched to create hurdles. Those who spread such rumours must be taken to court.
Raja Hafeez,
Lahore.
Tax amnesty
Madam,
Tax amnesty is defined as “grant of an opportunity to a specific class of society to declare their undeclared assets by payment of a meagre amount of tax in addition to grant of immunity from default surcharge, penalties and prosecution.” It is introduced by governments on the pretext of raising tax revenues, tapping into the informal economy and is offered in several European countries in addition to Malaysia, Canada, USA, India and Pakistan.
Pakistanis have seen many tax amnesties in various decades. Interestingly most of the amnesties in Pakistan were announced before general elections. No country in the world is as generous as Pakistan in the grant of tax amnesties. People successfully manage to transfer their ill-gotten money to offshore destinations from Pakistan due to a weak taxation system.
Panama and Paradise Leaks revealed accumulation of offshore assets by Pakistanis and ultimately led to the disqualification of a prime minister.
The Federal Board of Revenue established the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) zones in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan, Quetta and Peshawar for initiating and finalising proceedings against such tax dodgers. The zones were shared with information of Pakistanis having offshore assets. These zones were seen as a beacon of light for the nearly crippled Federal Board of Revenue and the economy of Pakistan. It was expected that the government would give special powers and resources to the zones for effectively checking these practices.
The AEOI zones operators issued notices to offshore asset holders of Panama, Paradise, Dubai and United Kingdom. The zones had the support of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Dubai cases, where remarkable recoveries were made. The compliance ratio in proceedings initiated by the zones was remarkable.
The concept of AEOI reckoned by many as a lifeline for the economy of Pakistan
It is rumoured that a new amnesty scheme is inclusive of the Benami Assets, which is an offence under the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Money Laundering Act. No country in the civilised world has given amnesty on benami assets. The future of an economically viable Pakistan lies in the elimination of red tape, rule of law, and not tax amnesties.
Syed Fawad Ali Shah,
Via e-mail.
Food security
Madam,
Food security is a widely debated issue in Pakistan today. Changes in weather patterns have resulted in off-season rain and floods. This may result in shortage of vital crops of staple food.
We, as a nation, are not paying attention to this vital issue. On the contrary, we waste food at weddings and other such occasions. According to reports, 18 per cent of the population in Pakistan is malnourished and children do not get proper meals. As a result, they remain under weight. I hope the authorities concerned at the federal and provincial levels will take immediate steps to introduce one-dish rule at weddings and other ceremonies.
Akber Ahmed,
Hyderabad.
Attack in Sri Lanka
Madam,
The news about the bomb blasts in Sri Lanka was devastating. Nearly 300 people were killed and many more were injured. This news sent shockwaves across the world.
Targeted by terror attacks in various parts of the country, Sri Lanka has been left in the lurch and is crying for help.
The international community and political leaders from the Asian region and rest of the world have condemned the attacks in Sri Lanka in the strongest terms possible. I watched the news on TV and could not stop crying. The international community should help Sri Lanka in coming out this crisis as soon as possible to maintain harmony among the Tamils and Sinhalese.
The attacks in Sri Lanka targeted innocent and humble people in churches. One shudders to think what kind of ruthless people would orchestrate an attack such as this and that too on worshippers.
Sana Sajjad,
Islamabad.
Scholarships
Madam,
I was devastated to learn that the Higher Education Commission has withdrawn all scholarships and ordered to double admission fees. Do our policymakers not know how scholarships programme encouraged and aid poor students?
It would be hard students from lower income backgrounds to pursue their education without scholarships. I appeal to the prime minister of Pakistan to take notice of how the future of this country is being destroyed under his watch. Scores of young people voted for Imran Khan in the hopes that he would transform the country for good. A transformation is indeed underway but one wonders who it will help.
Sana Abbas,
Multan.
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