| November 6, 2002 | Wednesday | Sha’aban 30,1423 |
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Deduction of Zakat
Police and first aid
Gorakh hill station project
Income tax on zero income
Pensioners’ personal allowance
Beautification of Karachi
Water leakage and mosquitoes
Institute of cardiology
Say it with flowers
If Jamali becomes PM
Ten deadly killers
Road sense
MMA: then and now
THALASSAEMIA is the most common inherited disorder in Pakistan. It occurs mainly when mother and father, both have thalassaemia minor (carriers).
We have some eight to 10 million carriers in the country. If one of the parents is a carrier, there is a 50 per cent chance of having a thalassaemia minor baby in each pregnancy. The disease runs in families where cousin marriages are common but it remains unidentified because of the symptomatic nature of thalassaemia minor.
The only cure for thalassaemia major is bone marrow transplant. In Pakistan, the facility is available in two centres only. The cost involved is around $15,000 to $20,000. Obviously, not even one per cent of the affected families can afford it.
The mainstay of treatment, therefore, remains regular blood transfusion and iron chelation. The estimated average cost of an ideal supportive management for the first 10 years of a child is about Rs600,000 to 800,000. However, because of ineffective and expensive nature of services, most children die at around 8 to 10 years of age.
The treatment of thalassaemia without an attempt to control the number of patients born with its major and minor forms would result in a huge drain on health care resources. Historically, thalassaemia has been a problem of Mediterranean populations. However, due to effective measures taken by them, now there are only a few affected births. Clearly, this demands of us to focus on preventive management of thalassaemia and it is here that Lady Health Workers (LHWs) can play a pivotal role.
There is awareness about thalassaemia prevention in major cities but most of the people in the rural areas are ignorant about it. LHWs give advice to families in rural areas on various health-related issues. If thalassaemia prevention is also incorporated in the National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Health Care, the LHWs’ network can be utilized to disseminate information about its prevention. LHWs can educate the families about the mode of inheritance, carrier screening, inter-family marriages, preventive counselling, small family size and prenatal diagnosis.
Dr MOHAMMAD IRFAN
Karachi
THE State Bank of Pakistan has quietly advised banks not to accept Zakat declarations, advising banks not to deduct Zakat, from account holders during the month preceding the month of Ramazan (from around Oct 6 to Nov 6 this year) without publishing a notice through the press for the information of the public.
The object clearly appears to be to catch the public unaware, and deduct Zakat whether account holders wish it or not. In all fairness, declarations should be accepted until even a day before the commencement of Ramazan.
Zakat is an individual’s personal obligation and the government has no right to deduct this without the individual’s consent. Instead of filing declaration for non-deduction of Zakat, banks should be instructed to deduct Zakat only from those who give a declaration that they wish to pay Zakat through deduction from their accounts.
The SBP is requested to issue revised instructions to banks accordingly.
M. S. SIDDIQI
Karachi
THE government has notified (Oct 24) a Nisab or limit of Rs5,688. Accordingly, Zakat would be deducted by banks from savings accounts having a balance higher than this amount on the first day of Ramazan this year.
According to the tenets of Islam, Nisab for the purpose of Zakat is: (i) 612.36 grams of silver or cash or merchandise exceeding the actual needs of its owner, or (ii) 87.48 grams of gold or cash or merchandise exceeding the actual needs of its owner.
It appears that, while determining Nisab, the government has taken into account the value of silver and not of gold, hence this discrepancy. The government should determine Nisab according to the value of gold which would come to about Rs60,000.
SHAMSHER ALI
Karachi
IT is reassuring to see well-dressed, well-equipped and seemingly well-trained Madadgar policemen on motorbikes patrolling the streets of Karachi. In the event of an accident or emergency, it would be these men who might undertake a life-saving role for those in need for it.
May I suggest to the concerned authorities that such policemen be also trained in administering first aid. In schools abroad, students are taught basic first aid procedures, such as treatment for burns, choking, drowning, snake bites, and even cardio pulmonary resuscitation. These procedures are quite easy to learn under a doctor’s supervision.
As these Madadgar policemen are very likely to be the very first to be on the scene in case of an emergency, basic first aid training and perhaps a well-equipped first-aid box on these motorbikes would help save a number of lives.
AHMER NEHAL
Karachi
Gorakh, situated in the Kirthar range, is about 6,000 feet above sea level and can be a good hill station like those in northern areas of Pakistan. Located in the west of the hilly areas of the Dadu district, it is merely 450 kilometres from Karachi via Dadu.
The Gorakh hill station project, which is under construction, will not only be a beautiful public resort, but will also attract foreign tourists and investment, improving the local financial conditions.
During the previous governments, the project was left incomplete for reasons best known to them.
It is high time that the authorities concerned, including the chief secretary of Sindh and the department of culture and tourism, made efforts to complete the project as soon as possible for the benefit of the people.
SANAULLAH RUSTAMANI
Dadu
FOR long income tax on shops, offices and commercial premises has been compulsorily charged through electricity bills. The amount of income tax varies with the amount billed for electricity.
However, a minimum income tax of Rs60 is being regularly charged on electricity bills with nil consumption. There are a large number of shops which have been closed, and office premises which have been lying vacant due to losses or failure of business. The electricity bills pertaining to such premises often indicate a nil consumption. Charging any amount as income tax on such bills is, therefore, unjustified.
When KESC authorities were approached for rectification of this unjustified charge, they advised that this could only be done after instructions are received from the CBR.
Will the CBR authorities look into this unjust deduction of income tax from failed or closed business houses?
AFFECTED
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the news report “Pensioners will get personal allowance” (July 26) and the letter “Pensioners’ personal allowance” (Oct 27).
I retired as a deputy secretary from the Cabinet Division in March 1996, and am, therefore, entitled to the pensionary benefits accruing under the Supreme Court’s decision of July 25, 2002.
The Finance Division had turned down my requests regarding grant of pensionary benefit on the pretext that the decision of the court was “personem in nature and cannot be applied in rem”.
This argument has been set aside in the Federal Service Tribunal’s decision of August 31, 2000, in the following words: “The argument that the Supreme Court judgment is personem in nature is not really tenable because the said judgment has laid down a principle which gives it a character of judgment in rem.”
On September 6, 2002, I brought it to the knowledge of the finance secretary that although I did not take legal proceedings, the Supreme Court decision is equally applicable in my case, as I retired on March 21, 1996, and was then drawing personal allowance. I requested that, in compliance with the court’s decision, the benefit of inclusion of the personal allowance for the purpose of computing pension as well as gratuity is also allowed to me.
I understand several other affected pensioners have approached the finance secretary for the grant of benefit accruing to them in terms of the Supreme Court’s judgment. The Finance Division has not taken any action on their genuine demands.
Too much is said and written about the poor pensioners but nothing has been done yet. This is a fit case, and I request the concerned authorities to expedite action on the legitimate demand of the old pensioners.
M. HANEEF QURESHI
Islamabad
THIS refers to the discussion going on in these columns on the above subject. Dr Ilmana Fasih’s suggestion (Sept 30) that there should be some regulations about the appearance of buildings is good, but I am afraid there will be no takers until there are some incentives for builders and owners.
I suggest that the government announce some rebate, say five to 20 per cent, in property taxes for those buildings which have a presentable facade/ appearance.
In this way, buildings having a facade plastered with good quality materials will draw this benefit for longer periods than those plastered with ordinary material.
Added to this should be a fine between 5 and 20 per cent for the buildings that are ugly and unsafe. This way the overall loss of revenue will not be much. Also, this will greatly reduce the number of buildings with an ugly look.
N. A. KHAN
Karachi
FOR two years, there has been an incessant outflow of drinking water from the supply line behind Safari Heights apartments, Block 15, Gulistan-i-Jauhar. The water has flooded a children’s park (ST-3) turning it into a marshy land. The park was used for Eid prayers, which are no more held there because of the leakage.
While the leakage, which still remains undetected, is a loss of precious water, its quantity has gradually increased, turning almost half of the park into a cesspit. The stagnant water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and pests, and is creating health hazards. It has also spread to another nearby park (ST-4) behind Dolmen’s Court.
On repeated complaints, a KWSB team inspected the site and reportedly found water coming out from a damaged underground telephone cable duct laid parallel to the water supply line.
The affected people sent a reminder to the KWSB on July 6, 2002, with a copy to the DE Phones, Gulistan-i-Jauhar. A PTCL cabinet (C-17) sits at that spot and its base and the terminated cables are submerged in water. The PTCL line staff are seen working there, but they are actually procrastinating.
I request the concerned authorities to rectify this long-outstanding problem.
MALIK SALAHUDDIN
Karachi
I WANT to draw the attention of the governor of Sindh and the director, National Institute of Cardiology, Karachi, toward the problems faced by patients and visitors at the institute.
The token fee has been raised recently from Rs50 to Rs100 although 95 per cent of patients belong to poor families. The fee for ECG has also been raised to Rs100.
No lady doctor is available in the emergency ward in the night shift. Because of the absence of women doctors, female patients feel very awkward. Moreover, there is no proper arrangement to give some privacy to patients. There is only one curtain stand for the whole emergency ward.
Male patients and even outsiders are seen moving around the ladies’ ward. This is highly objectionable. People who come with female patients should be stopped outside the ward.
MUHAMMAD BABU LASI
Karachi
IN Islamabad, now there are many flower shops, almost at every corner in the city. This gives many of us an opportunity to ‘say it with flowers’.
Some of us do know the value of flowers which are used in abundance in wedding ceremonies and also to bedeck the coffin at funerals. We also witness on TV flower wreaths being placed at the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam. Yet, many of us do not know the etiquette related to the use of flowers in expressing sentiments.
Once, about 32 years ago, in Berlin, an elderly German lady asked me to dinner. I took there with me a bunch of red roses. To may embarrassment, everyone present at the dinner laughed.
Later, when I mentioned the laughter to a friend, he told me that it was an error on my part to bring roses for an elderly lady. “You should have expressed your appreciation with some other kind of flower.”
Many years ago, I sent a bouquet to a retiring chief of protocol in the Pakistan foreign ministry. He later taught me a few protocols about flowers. “Bringing flowers expresses sentiments in a much better way than having them sent,” he said.
Say it with flowers, sure. But first acquaint yourself with the relevant etiquette.
JONAID IQBAL
Islamabad
(i) ZAFARUllah Khan Jamali was first elected to the Balochistan Assembly in March 1977. He became a provincial minister (for four months) and was dismissed on July 5, 1977.
(ii) Mr Jamali was selected caretaker chief minister of Balochistan in August 1988. He completed his tenure in November 1988 (three months).
(iii) He was elected MPA and became chief minister of Balochistan in November 1988. He was dismissed on December 1988 (one month only).
(iv) What will happen if Mr Jamali becomes the next prime minister of Pakistan?
SYED AHMED SHOAIB
Karachi
IT WILL not come as a surprise to many that most of our political leaders busy in politicking would not have read the recent World Health Report of the WHO or Dawn’s editorial (Nov 2).
The report has identified 10 interlinked factors causing deaths. They are hunger, unsafe sex, high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol, unsafe water and lack of sanitation, high cholesterol, iron deficiency, indoor smoke and obesity. These are also linked with poverty, ignorance and inadequate health services, all present in our country.
Hopefully our leaders will find some time to go through the report and take practical steps to better the situation.
The new government should consider the principles of epidemiology and the social, political and institutional forces that shape public health policy. The role of NGOs in promoting public health should be appreciated and encouraged.
If our government is really committed to the welfare of people, it will waste no time to to ensure that no more people die because of these deadly killers.
DR ALFRED CHARLES
Karachi
I feel that it would be quite appropriate if school-going children are taught traffic rules from primary classes onward. This should also include the manner in which to cross a road, which side of the road to walk on and rules of using the roundabout.
May be, in this way, the new generation would become better road users than we are.
Dr JAMAL NASIR MEMON
Karachi
IN the election 2002, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has emerged as the third largest party in Pakistan. Some young Pakistanis are threatening to migrate from Pakistan if, in future elections, the MMA emerges as the largest party because of its agenda of enforcing Islam. This remains to be seen, however, which version of Islam the MMA wants to enforce in the country as the allied religious parties have not defined a combined version of Islam yet.
This brings to my mind the 1945-46 election which led to independence and created for the Indian Muslims a homeland of their own, Pakistan. At that time I was a university teacher.
The All-India Muslim League, the party that created Pakistan, was led by rather a Westernized elite class of Muslims, mostly top barristers, English-educated nawabs or big businessmen. Some of them spoke only English. They demanded and got Pakistan on the basis of the two-nation theory according to which nationhood was determined by religion, not by geographical boundaries. In India, for them, the Hindus were one nation and the Muslims another. In modern political terminology, it was rather a fundamentalist’s definition.
The two-nation theory of the Muslim League leaders was opposed by a group of Muslim political parties for whom geographical boundaries, not religion, defined nationhood. This group was totally non-Westernized and its leadership was from the middle class. They were rather practising Muslims.
This group included the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, whose Pakistani successor is the JUI. This group felt no difficulty in the Muslims living side by side with the Hindus in India unlike their co-religionists — the League leaders. In modern terms it was a secular outlook.
To prove their Islamic credentials after independence, the League leaders introduced the Objectives Resolution in the proposed constitution for Pakistan in 1949 to enforce and “Islamic way of life” for every Muslim (without defining what it was). Pakistan has had many constitutions but each one included the Objectives Resolution. They also gave Pakistan the name of Islamic Republic of Pakistan which to this day has remained intact.
Come the election 2002, the successors of the two pre-independence political groupings took a U-turn and exchanged each other’s pre-independence ideologies. Successors to the All-India Muslim League want a secular Pakistan, while successors to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind have become fundamentalists!
We, Pakistanis, are bewildered by these U-turns. Guide us please, politicians and intellectuals. What could, or what should we do?
GHULAM KIBRIA
Karachi
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