| July 20, 2002 | Saturday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1423 |
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National ‘deconstruction’
Repeal Hudood Ordinance
Non-existent phone
Wasting our resources
Ill-advised move
Unity, faith and discipline
Looking for Al Qaeda women
Beating up booksellers
Concession for pensioners
No respect for citizens
Nadra and purdah
The mirror of reality
National tax cards proposed
THE constitutional package has been followed by an intense debate. It should not cause worry as it is a healthy sign.
The government has taken the right step of allowing people from all walks of life to go through the amendments at their ease and express themselves freely. And for the first time in Pakistan’s history, such a large-scale consultation process has been kicked off.
The only care both the government and the political parties should take is that matters should not become personal. Criticism should be in the spirit of strengthening the institutions, which is only way out for a sustainable democracy.
Unfortunately Pakistan’s past experience with governance has been sad and tragic. The constitutional package has set up a solid way to stop floor-crossing, though the political parties which mutely passed the 14th amendment are strangely opposing it. There is no doubt that floor-crossing should be stopped, but not at the cost of freedom of the members of the legislature.
The most interesting aspect of the new package is that many of the amendments are based on the demands of the political parties — the same parties that are now opposing it. These demands include increased seats for women, reduction in the voters’ age, seats for technocrats, increase in the seats of national and provincial assemblies, increase in Senate seats, and reduction in five-year term of the National Assembly.
Those objecting that the current package is a journey towards presidential system of governance have readily forgotten 1977 when the primary demand of PNA was that the president should have more powers. Balance of power between the prime minister and the president was the buzzword. It was said that if there had been balance of power between the prime minister and the president, Pakistan wouldn’t have seen Zia’s rule.
Another mistake that is persisting is that the amendments are being seen against the background of personalities. One has to come out of this mindset, which is difficult, but not impossible. The amendments should be seen beyond Musharraf, Benazir and Sharif.
One cannot deny the argument that only people’s representative in the parliament have the right to alter the constitution. But after an honest review of the 1973-1999 period it becomes quite clear that personal glorification, love of money and lust for power have remained the ultimate aims.
PROF REHAN ISPHANI
Islamabad
DAWN’s editorial ‘Defending the package’ (July 14) was well-considered and put across the issues accurately, concisely and unambiguously. Pakistan needs a reprieve from power-hungry generals. The NSC will be the proverbial last nail in the coffin of democracy. It will only pave the way for the ‘surgical operation’ that the generals perform to their own advantage.
As students of history and politics, we can say that the general (and that does not mean the whole army) have always let the country down. Why on earth do we need to experiment under their tutelage? It’s about time people like Gen Tanvir Naqvi stopped their ‘national destruction’ job. It is our national duty to appeal to the battered and beleaguered civilians of Pakistan to raise their voice against a so-called reforms package that is not just ill-conceived but is also founded on vested interests and self-serving considerations. Rigging in the coming elections can be the only logical sequel to this package.
The editorial very rightly emphasised that ‘no individual or group (of corps commanders) can arrogate to itself the right to change the constitution’. If we as a nation acquiesce in such hamhanded tactics we may not get another chance. We are constrained to believe that the army is the only one in the world which can conquer its own country and force its own people into submission.
Can reality dawn upon those who have, in a large measure, derailed the democratic process time and again? They have simply nothing to do with politics and amending the constitution.
AHMED KALEEM SARDAR
Lahore
THE present regime is in the process of introducing certain bold constitutional changes which are wholeheartedly supported by those who are in favour of a parliamentary form of government with good governance and adequate checks and balances. While these changes are being incorporated, I suggest that President Musharraf should also consider the possibility of repealing the offensive Zina Ordinance No.VII of 1979. The ‘hadd’, as provided in this ordinance, ‘has primarily been applied only on the poor and voiceless sections of society.’
Furthermore, ‘wherever hadd has been awarded, it has clearly exposed the glaring injustice and absurdities of the Hudood Laws’ (The Hudood Ordinance — a divine sanction? by Asma Jehangir and Hina Jilani)
I am sure the nation would always remember President Musharraf for this bold step of setting free the women of this country from the injustices perpetrated against them in the name of Shariat, Islam, Holy Quran and sunnat.
S.S.
Karachi
I have been a resident of N-1, Hasan Apartments, Block 13A, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, for the last two years. The tenant who was residing here prior to me had a telephone No. 496-3305. Though the said telephone does not exist anymore, the telephone department regularly sends the bills pertaining to it.
If someone calls the above telephone number, a recorded message is heard which says that this telephone number is not listed. The telephone department has been reminded repeatedly to stop billing for this ghost telephone but all in vain. Now the total amount due against this non-existent phone has reached Rs12,480 and every month Rs315 are added to it.
Once this amount reaches Rs20,000, the resident of N-1 apartment, whoever he might be at that time, would be declared a defaulter and would, therefore, not be able to have another active telephone line at the said apartment.
I appeal to the PTCL authorities to kindly look into the matter and resolve it before it creates a problem for one of their subscribers.
ASIM SHAFIQ
Karachi
IT was very painful to see the photograph of a large number of surplus motorcars belonging to the NWFP government rusting in the open (July 11).
Our country, which ranks as one of the poorest in the world, can hardly afford wastage of precious national resources. We are deep in debt internally and externally. The financial affairs of the NWFP government are in dire straits for the last several years. Every other day we read reports of financial stringency of the NWFP which owes over Rs6 billion to the State Bank.
I am sure more or less a similar state of affairs is prevailing in the other provinces and the centre itself. This is nothing but sheer negligence on the part of the official hierarchy of the provincial and central governments.
The chief executive of the NWFP is requested to see to it that the surplus fleet of motor vehicles is disposed of at the earliest before it is reduced to junk. Obviously this step will not be sufficient to get rid of the indebtedness of the province. Therefore, the government will have to take other measures also to tighten its belt to achieve the goal.
SHEIKH AMJAD HASSAN
Sahiwal
IT appears that the Political Parties Order 2002 and the two-term restriction on holding the offices of prime minister and chief minister are meant to disenfranchise a substantial proportion of eligible voters by disqualifying the candidates they were hoping to vote for. Thus they challenge the very foundations of adult franchise as the voters are not being trusted to cast their votes wisely.
The political parties have been given only a month to completely overhaul their infrastructure while the top brass of some parties have been disqualified from contesting the polls. Is this the basis of a stable political order?
These orders, if implemented, which they are most likely to be, would provide for non-representative assemblies once the polls are held. How can representative leadership emerge in the short span of one month? Non-representative assemblies, even if given the chance, would elect leaders who are equally non-representative having no mass support.
Combined with the rest of checks-and-balances, this would make the leaders of the house in all the assemblies subservient to the powers that be, with the additional disadvantage of having to bear the brunt of public discontent and anger at the running of affairs in which they would not have any role.
The scheme of things worked out by the NRB is ill-advised.
NUSRAT BOKHARI
Islamabad
MR H. Aziz Syed (July 12) has pointed out the laxity on the part of PTV in telecasting a saying of the Quaid-i-Azam as ‘Faith, Unity and Discipline’ instead of ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’.
The writer has asked: can’t we stand by what the Quaid had actually said? The Father of the Nation died in 1948 and all his sayings were also buried along with him. We ourselves do not know where we stand after a lapse of 54 years since his death. Under the circumstances, how could we be expected to know what the great Quaid had said and stood for?
I glanced through a recent letter by affected residents ‘Model Town thefts’. I appeal to the residents of Blocks A and B to join hands and devise ways and means to fight the menace of car-lifting and thefts on a self-help basis. By so doing, they might come across the city nazim and the police officials who are otherwise inaccessible.
K.A. WAHID BUTT
Lahore
RECENTLY, one night at around 2am I was stopped by the Naval Police along with all the other cars passing by Rimpa Plaza and going towards the airport. Only one lane had been left open and the rest of the lanes were blocked by police mobiles.
The Naval police asked for my driver’s licence and car papers. I showed them my new driving licence (card) and then my brand new car registration and insurance papers. I could not help but ask who they were exactly looking for because even though I was a woman and dressed in western clothes, they had decided to stop me and check my documents. They told me that they were looking for Al Qaeda.
Well, it is only our police and law-enforcement agencies who can think that Al Qaeda has that kind of a female following who would dress themselves in western clothes and drive alone at that late hour in the night.
IRUM CHAUDHRY
Karachi
I ENDORSE the views expressed in the letter ‘Police beat up booksellers’ (July 16). I am a regular visitor of these booksellers. It is a book-lovers’ shopping paradise where books are available on a wide range of subjects including computers, history, poetry and fiction on affordable prices.
Last Sunday also I was there at Regal Chowk, Saddar, and personally witnessed the police harassing the booksellers. I too exchanged hot words with the police. I fail to understand why the police are after them even though they do not disturb or create any inconvenience to anyone. On the other hand, they add life to an otherwise deserted place on a Sunday.
I hope the City Nazim and the administration would take notice of this uncivilized activity of the uniformed personnel who perhaps want their palms to be greased by the poor booksellers.
HIDAYAT BALOCH
Karachi
UNDER the new budget the rate of return on monthly savings certificates has been reduced from Rs932 to Rs782 after the deduction of withholding tax. This has come as a great shock to the pensioners who had been hoping for an increase in the return on these certificates.
Pensioners mostly invest their gratuity and GPF amounts in the NSS Mahana Scheme. And, at their age, this is their only source of income. Would the government, therefore, allow only for the pensioners to be paid the profit on their Mahana Scheme certificates at the old rates of 1997-98?
I request the president and the finance minister to give this suggestion sympathetic consideration.
Z. SHIRAZI
Lahore
THIS is with reference to Mr A.H. Husain’s letter ‘No respect for citizens’ (July 15).
The writer has wrongly perceived the scenario. It can never be compared with the body search by Indian troops in Kashmir. The objective of the Indian army there is to suppress the rights of Kashmiri people and here the objective is to provide security to citizens.
The search conducted by the rangers and the police is a part of their job. One cannot distinguish between a criminal and an innocent person on the road, unless checked. I believe if anyone of us stops at this search and proves his identity he is contributing towards eliminating crime from society.
I have been stopped many times by these law-enforcement agencies but have never faced a problem due to the fact that I always carry complete original documents with me when I go out.
SALMAN
Karachi
I WOULD like to advise Ms Surraya Batool from Gujranwala (July 8) that if she believes so strongly in purdah and had decided not to have her photograph on the CNIC, why doesn’t she adhere to her principles and demand a passport without a photograph rather than blame Nadra?
The Nadra swift centre is a revolutionary concept and one is amazed to see how efficient our young boys and girls are at handling the public. I urge the people to visit the Nadra swift centres at least once and see for themselves what facilities await them there. In these centres, one feels proud of such organizations which are making Pakistan stand in line with the advanced countries of the world.
A PATRIOT
Lahore
I AM truly at a loss to understand why Mr Raza Naeem, in his letter ‘Malaysia and Mahathir’ (July 14), has denigrated the eminent western scholar of Islam Professor Bernard Lewis.
I have just finished reading Bernard Lewis’ latest book What Went Wrong? (New York: 2002) and I believe that Bernard Lewis has been remarkably objective. As a matter of fact, I think he has looked at the present state of Islam with great care and sympathy.
We Muslims have to learn to accept criticism of our existing state of affairs. As a Muslim, I personally believe that Muslims today are wallowing in darkness and self-deceptions. We must appreciate the efforts of scholars like Bernard Lewis when they hold up the mirror of reality to our faces.
Mr Raza Naeem has bracketed Professor Bernard Lewis with the writer V.S. Naipaul who is decidedly and rabidly anti-Islam. By so doing, Mr Naeem has been very unfair to Professor Lewis.
JAMIL D. DADABHOY
Karachi
THE national identity card scheme should be abolished and replaced by a national tax card scheme, to be centrally computerized and used as a document of proof of citizenship, date of birth, parentage and identity of every citizen. The proposed scheme will also be helpful in tax recovery.
Under this National Tax Card Scheme, every adult citizen would be under legal obligation to have this card and file returns annually. Housewives, unemployed people, students and pensioners would remain exempted but will be under legal obligation to file returns or an affidavit after a lapse of every three to five years.
The laws protecting the ‘gifts’ and ‘banammi’ transactions should be abolished; the salary of every person should be paid through cross-cheques. The minimum wages should be Rs5,000 per month, the violation of which should be a serious criminal offence.
By virtue of the enforcement of this scheme every employed citizen would be covered under the tax net and the employers would be under legal obligation to deduct the income tax prior to the payment of salary. After the enforcement of this scheme the number of income tax payers would increase from the present about one million to 10 million.
Exemptions in general sales tax should be abolished and sales tax should be recovered under the Land Revenue Act because provisions of the recovery of general sales tax as a decree of civil courts would not be practical.
More so, the tax on services should be given under the federal list because for the enforcement of GST, such an amendment is necessary.
For the purpose of recovery of general sales tax an infrastructure should be made and a statute under the title of ‘General Sales Tax Payers Registration Ordinance’ may be promulgated according to which manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, and all other institutions/ companies would be registered without any slab(s) and exemptions.
A proposed ‘General Sales Tax Accountants Ordinance’ is also suggested, according to which every general sales tax payer would furnish returns through general sales tax accountants and there would be no direct access of tax recovery officials to the general sales tax payers.
More than 30,000 unemployed graduates would get jobs due to the enforcement of such a statute and/or scheme and the ingredient of loss in the annual national budget would drastically come down.
There is a need to create a system to promote ‘documentation culture’ and/or to widen the tax base.
SAALIM SALAM ANSARI
Karachi
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