State sponsored black economy
Sir,
It is the foremost constitutional duty of any government and its various organs to ensure that a documented economy is promoted and tax evaders are given exemplary punishments so that the state invests in socio economic development schemes, and works towards provision of justice, security and welfare of the common man.
Unfortunately in Pakistan, the state itself has become the biggest promoter of a black economy. Various civil and uniformed institution whose salaries are paid by taxpayers are involved in real estate housing schemes, giving multiple plots to paid servants of the state under the garb of welfare. What started as welfare schemes, giving single plots at subsidized rates for construction of house, has been converted into an abusive scheme for commercial gains by individuals for performing duties they were employed to perform. Multiple plots is not only an irregularity but has blinded the state to dangers of reducing green agriculture belts in a country with an uncontrollable population explosion. Converting productive agricultural land into housing schemes further aggravates environment disasters and water scarcity, apart from shortages in vital agriculture produce.
When instruments of the state employed to serve people become beneficiaries of irregularities and tax evasion, then the collective national interest itself becomes victim of greed of powerful elite. These are ideal conditions for money laundering and flight of capital and a shrinking documented economy. The DC Rate on which tax is deducted on sale proceeds of commercial and residential plots is not even a fraction of its market value, contributing to the black undocumented economy. If such abuses continue, this state that is already on the verge of bankruptcy will no longer be able to sustain an effective defense organization, nor provide even basic health and subsidized education, which is far more important than abusive profiteering schemes beneficial only to individuals.
Every state organization seems to have gone berserk, and the latest is the announcement of ASF Housing Scheme in Karachi, inviting applications from general public, although our airports have been declared as insecure with innumerable security lapses, which requires their undivided attention to basic task of securing airports. This ever widening gap between revenues and expenditures is being filled by resorting to acquiring foreign loans, which will ultimately jeopardize our nuclear deterrence.
Ali Malik
Lahore.
Politics and business
Sir,
All over world big business influences politics indirectly through contributions, but when big business gets directly involved in politics, then the common man suffers and the national exchequer is likely to be pilfered. National interests are prone to be compromised at the altar of greed and profiteering. Universally accepted code of ethics and Islamic governance practices during the Caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar or Hazrat Ali etc emphasized that rulers should not have “conflicts of interest”, and neither they nor their children should be involved in businesses. What can be a bigger verdict on the current leaders’ poor governance and lopsided priorities than the fact that there is not a single hospital in Pakistan, in which they have confidence to be treated.
It is in the nature of traders not to resist temptation and profiteering. Mega projects that should have been earning accolades from the public are becoming controversial because contracts are given to firms owned by politicians or their cronies, who compromise on quality with state regulatory authorities under pressure to overlook their mistakes. In a country where millions suffer from malnutrition, sickness and injustices, because of paucity of funds for welfare, it is criminal to give subsidy to sugar barons and numerous tax amnesty schemes for traders earning billions. Can anybody in power justify levying 15% WT on earning of pensioners, senior citizens and widows, who invest their meager lifelong savings in National Saving Centre schemes?
It is ironic that before 1947, all major political policy decisions were taken by the white man in London, while in 2016 they are taken by brown natives heading major political parties, whose families and assets are also located there, making them susceptible to foreign pressures. Pakistan’s sovereignty is at stake because of greed and vested interest of a few, who consider Pakistan worthy only to rule or do business, but not for their families to live in. We are being ruled by individuals who diligently pay all taxes in foreign countries, but consider it either a sin or an insult to pay taxes in Pakistan.
Tariq Ali,
Lahore.
Violence against women
Sir,
It is painful to mention that a man burnt a schoolteacher when she refused to marry him. 85 percent of her body was burnt, and she soon after being burnt passed away. This is not the only case of violence against women. Several such cases have been reported as off late. In May, the gutted body of a girl was found from a vehicle in Abbottabad. In April, a disabled girl was allegedly raped by a male nurse, under whose care she was in. The government should feel ashamed by this rising trend of violence against women in the country, but still it does nothing and the police seem to be indifferent towards the plight of women in the country.
Sana Khan,
Kech.
Iran-Pakistan: friends or foes
Sir,
We have become partially isolated in the world due to our poor and weak foreign policy, particularly when it comes to relations with neighboring countries like Afghanistan, Iran and India. There is no comprehensive and crystal clear foreign policy of Pakistan today. Only China and Pakistan have dynamic relations because of the historic and landmark project that is China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). CPEC is a future game changer mega project, so all our neighboring countries are alleged to be unhappy due to this giant development in the region. Iran, India and Afghanistan are jointly struggling to build Chabahar port to compete with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, it would seem.
Iran had the unique distinction of being the first country to internationally recognize the sovereign status of Pakistan. Both countries are founding members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (CEO) established in 1985. Unfortunately, Iran-Pakistan relations are not going so well today. Recent difficulties have included disputes over trade and political positions. While Pakistan’s foreign policy maintains balanced relations with Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the European Union, Iran tends to warn against it.
Chabahar is an Iranian free port. The Indian government sanctioned an initial amount of USD 85 million for its development. On March 25, 2016, Pakistan announced that it had arrested a RAW operative by the name of Kulbhushan Yadav who was operating in Baluchistan province under the cover name Hussain Mubarak Patel. He was carrying a passport under that fake identity and used to operate a jewellary shop in Chabahar, Iran.
We are living in the 21st century where relations and friendship between countries are directly connected with benefits. There is no need of religion, color, class or culture for trade among nations. I urge the government and policymakers to revise our foreign policy for better relations with our neighboring countries.
Engr Mansoor Ahmed,
Faisalabad.
Rape cases in Pakistan
Sir,
It is painful to say the PML-N government has completely failed to control the rising trend of rape and kidnapping cases in the country; Pakistan is among the 10 worst countries in the world when it comes to number of rape cases. 14,850 kidnap cases involving women, children and girls were reported in Punjab during the last one year; 2,000 women were kidnapped, with 80% of them being allegedly raped during the last year, while 15% were killed. 980 minors were kidnapped, including newborns from hospitals. According to a report released by War Against Rape (WAR), at least four women were raped every day in Pakistan, and last year alone, 109 FIRs have been registered against 370 rape cases in the country. The factsheet reveals that the police’s performance remained unimpressive, as authorities failed to solve hundreds of cases, and many of the kidnapped persons were never recovered, as some 3,100 cases were still under investigation. In reality, rape cases are increasing every day and the government is totally failing to eradicate such a painful issue, and has failed to punish criminals who are destroying the lives of millions children in Pakistan.
So, I humbly request the government of Pakistan to take serious steps to control this painful issue in order to save the lives of children in Pakistan.
Shakeel Phullan,
Turbat.
Ban toy guns
Sir,
“Every Body is worried about stopping terrorism, well there is a really easy way; Stop participating in it,” by Noam Chomsky. A child learns from the society he grows up in. He decorates himself with the culture of society, which he adopts from his surroundings. Eid is around the corner and everyone is busy in shopping for gifts. We usually talk about a ban on toy guns but no satisfactory action has been taken till today. This issue seems to be diminutive. Toy guns should be banned for the purpose of discouraging the growing trend of the use of arms and violence, and the impact it has on children. By using toy guns, children start liking negative characters and want to ‘play’ terrorist in games; these types of activities lead children to start accepting violence. In August 2015, the Sindh Assembly adopted several resolutions, with one seeking the enforcement of a ban on toy guns, but like always our resolutions are limited to books and pieces of paper, no practical action has been taken. In 2015, the district government of Peshawar also put a ban on the sale of toy guns during the month of Ramadan. In that time, DC Peshawar empowered the city police with the authority to arrest sellers of toy guns, but these bans are for a limited time.
Mir Taqi Abbas Talpur,
Sobhodero.
Urdu taking hold
Sir,
The Urdu language, as some people believe, is if not the most beautiful is surely one of the most beautiful languages on Earth, It has a great flow, vast vocabulary and above all, due to its inclusive nature, has great capacity to bring people close and bind them. One such great example was a recent Urdu mushaira and the inauguration of Urdu novel Tabeer Ki Talash Main by a Pakistani expatriate, Rehan Alavi, in Melbourne a week ago. It is estimated that around 40,000 Pakistani expats live in Australia. Melbourne has the second highest concentration of Pakistani migrants. The occasion was graced by Pakistani High Commissioner Madam Naila Chauhan, who travelled all the way from Canberra to attend the Urdu literary program, The event was organised jointly by the Urdu Academy of Australia and Pehchan International, which is a leading Urdu newspaper in Melbourne. The Urdu Academy of Australia was established under the leadership of Shamim Zaidi, who migrated to Australia in 1989 with a background and experience of working with leading Pakistani Urdu newspapers as well as in the Middle East. In all these years, the Urdu Academy, despite a lack of resources, has done a wonderful job in keeping the language alive and has kept its literary side going by organising Urdu mushairas featuring greats of Urdu literature like Ahmad Faraz, Attaul Haq Qasmi, Muhammad Izharul Haq, Noshi Gilani and the list goes on, The Academy has encouraged local poets also by providing a platform to recite their poetry. Getting appreciation from government officials from the high commissioner level is very encouraging. With the aid of modern technology, Urdu language events are streamed live to New Zealand also. Urdu is definitely now a transcontinental language and has taken root in the Australian continent.
Malik Atif Mahmood Majoka,
Melbourne.
SOS banking
Sir,
Earning money through legitimate means is quite difficult in Pakistan. Despite the country being labeled the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, some major laws in Pakistan don’t comply with Islamic laws. Bank interest rates in the West and most non-Muslim countries are way below the interest rate that is being offered by banks in Pakistan. In layman terms, the profit interest rates offered by Pakistani banks are between 4%-10% (depending on duration of deposit), as compared to western and developed countries where it is somewhere between 1%-2%.
I am a moderate Muslim and for many readers I might sound like an extremist, but our religion teaches us the complete way of living from birth till death and it has strictly denounced earning through bank interests and earning money from lending money. A conventional bank’s 80% earnings are from loans and banks earn huge amounts of money from these loans, which are a huge burden on individuals, corporations and organisations. At the time of giving loan, they state an interest rate, which sounds lesser, but if we calculate the annual realistic interest rate, it comes out to be around 25%, which is horrid.
Islamic banking is a somewhat safer way of earning money, but the problem remains; they replace the term ‘interest’ with ‘profit earned’ from trading, as they state their profit before a deal has been matured and the buyer owns any particular product. Secondly, Islamic banks don’t lend liquid cash to any individual or institution.
Farooq Azhar Khawaja
Islamabad.
Debt gone bad
Sir,
Two and a half years have passed since the government of the PML-N took over the reins of the country after winning the 2013 election, mainly on the basis of a promise made to the people of Pakistan that if elected, the party’s government would solve the problem of energy shortage and end load shedding from the county. That has not happened yet and is not likely to happen until and unless the issue of circular debt is resolved permanently. I believe circular debt is a serious bottleneck in the operation cycle of energy production and distribution. The government has not shared with the public any information regarding the latest stock and status of circular debt. Electricity producers cannot produce electricity regularly and efficiently, unless their debts are cleared by purchasers, which in this case are the country’s power distribution companies. The power distribution companies can’t pay to electricity producers because the former’s customers don’t pay regularly in time for the electricity consumed. Thus, it has become a vicious circle. It is the responsibility of the government to fix the problem by removing the bottleneck, wherever it exists in this business operation cycle. In any business operation, generally speaking, the terms of trade debts range from 30 days to a maximum 120 days. It is extremely surprising that two-and-a-half years have passed (about 900 days) since the present government, soon after coming into power in June 2013, paid off circular debt amounting to Rs 482 billion, and to this date, the people of Pakistan do not know what happened to the recovery of that circular debt. I have high respect and regards for the country’s finance minister, Ishaq Dar, for his positive contribution so far to the country’s economy, but as the custodian of the country’s finances, it is his duty to inform the recovery status of that circular debt, which was paid from the national wealth about 900 days ago. If no recovery has been made so far from that circular debt, despite the passage of over 900 days, then it should not be called circular debt. It is actually a bad debt.
Ejaz Ahmad Magoon,
Lahore.