| September 26, 2003 | Friday | Rajab 28, 1424 |
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Plots for defence officers
Abuse of taxpayer’s money
Investment in NSS
Leopard cub’s death in zoo
Airport robberies
Please leave Indian Muslims alone
Australian sheep
Pre-paid mobile phone cards
Parking lots in bad shape
FTC flyover mess
‘Defence in safe hands’
THE government should trust taxpayers and reduce income-tax rates from 30 per cent or above and take back all taxes on utilities, petrol/petroleum products, surcharges, excise duties, and fix income-tax rate at 10 per cent on all incomes above Rs120,000. I am certain the government will have 10 million willing people to pay more than Rs1,000 billion in taxes every year. Only our tax authorities should treat them as respectable citizens, and not as common criminals.
The CBR high-ups used a very threatening tone when they were displaying the data of assets, collected by them, on PTV programme “Morning News” last week. It is this attitude and behaviour of the CBR officials of being “masters of all things on this earth” which is responsible for the dwindling state revenues. The rampant corruption among tax authorities and their luxurious lifestyle make potential taxpayers abhor paying their hard-earned money as taxes.
Unfortunately, the tax-collecting authorities have taken over the task of levying taxes and increasing rates, surcharges at will. In July 2002, the excise and taxation authorities of Punjab have tripled the property tax without any justification or sanction from the provincial legislature. As our politicians are more interested in extortion in the name of development funds to balance their huge electoral expenses, this issue of public interest is yet to come on the provincial assembly’s agenda for discussion.
No MNA or MPA in Punjab has paid attention to this unjust decision. Widows and retired people are penalized if they try to rent out a portion of their seven-marla houses to enhance their meagre incomes to meet the rising cost of living. The property tax on a seven-marla plot has been increased to Rs13,700 in July 2002 from Rs1,600 in 2001 for a small 30-year-old house. Besides, the rate of property tax is not the same in the same locality on the same size of plots.
The government is talking about improved macro economic conditions while destroying the lives of ordinary citizens by increasing taxes and decreasing incomes by reducing the rate of return on the NSS. What about our political gurus? They are busy creating a smokescreen for all these unjust actions of the government. The whole lot belongs to the same extortionist elite of our country. The one half in the government and the second half in the opposition, and the game of musical chair goes on without any hindrance, and in the name of democracy.
ZAHEERA AHMED
Rawalpindi
REPLYING to a call attention motion, Defence Minister Rao Sikander Iqbal told legislators recently that 27 housing schemes for defence officers were launched in the last 12 years. In addition, the PAF launched two private housing schemes in Rawalpindi, and the PN three — two in Karachi and one in Islamabad.
Of the 27 schemes, 11 were launched in Sialkot, nine in Lahore, four in Quetta, one each in Karachi, Hyderabad and Peshawar. These 27 schemes occupy 219.46 acres in a country where millions of citizens are shelterless or live in dilapidated hovels.
Fortunately for the minister, there was no opposition in the house and, hence, there no supplementaries like:
1. How many houses built under the defence schemes so far have been bought by civilians and at what price?
2. Why should the schemes be exempted from property tax even if they are meant for the forces, particularly when these are being sold to other parties at a profit?
3. Which of the officers of the armed forces own more than one plot/house under the various defence housing schemes, and why?
4. If, indeed, these housing schemes are launched to provide housing for retired, injured and incapacitated soldiers, war widows and families of ‘shaheed’, why are a large number of civilians occupying such exclusive and privileged accommodations?
5. What is the breakdown of the number of houses/plots provided for jawans, non-commissioned officers, junior officers as compared with those for senior officers, etc?
As against this, there’s the case of a public school in Karachi which had sought a plot of army land adjacent to the school on long lease but the matter is not settled even after 36 years.
The reason that our leaders, both in and out of uniform, want us to think about tomorrow is because they do not want us to focus on the mess they are making today. But today cannot be divorced from yesterday and if we do not learn from history we are bound to repeat it.
ANWAR ABBAS
Karachi
I WAS flabbergasted to read a news-item (Dawn, Sept 20) that two supplementary budgetary grants worth over Rs25 million have been approved by the prime minister for a 15-day trip by three delegations, numbering about 50 parliamentarians, to the US as the “non-official component” of the delegation to the UN General Assembly session.
This is in addition to the official entourage of the president and the prime minister. This number of “non-official component” may cross 100 when media teams will be given consideration to accompanying the president and prime minister, thus making it the country’s largest delegation of “non-official component” that ever visited a foreign country, estimated to cost the exchequer over Rs60 million.
Can this country — with a bankrupt economy, over 40 per cent population living below the poverty line, the degeneration of all the institution, the pathetic state of health care, education and justice — afford this luxury? This is an abuse of the taxpayer’s money.
NAVEED KHAN
Karachi
THIS refers to a news-item (Sept 6) that says investment in the NSS (national savings schemes) shot up to Rs108 billion during July-June 2002-3, up from the last year’s Rs71 billion, raising 37 billion rupees, out of which Rs22 billion investment was made by those who got loans from banks to buy defence and special savings Certificates, thereby earning 10 and 8.6 per cent profit against a profit of 4-6 per cent at bank rates. This way they earned an extra profit of 2-4 per cent, without investing a single rupee from their own pocket.
My concern is, why should the government allow a no-limit profit to anyone (company or group) except to individual investors like pensioners, widows, orphans and old people who have no other source of income, nor have they much money to buy stocks/bonds like parties which have lots of extra millions in rupees and are multiplying their profits.
Under the old system, when the return on defence certificates worth Rs100,000 was calculated at Rs430,000 on the completion of 10 years, and 12-15 per cent on special savings certificates, but now these have been lowered to less than half of previous profit rates. Now, defence certificates worth Rs100,000 would come to Rs175,000 on completion of 10 years, and the profits on monthly schemes for three years or fixed investments payable each six months have been drastically reduced, affecting the poor and the middle class.
Is there anybody in the government who cares for the poor instead of abusing the laws for their own gains and fleecing the poor and small businesses through huge taxes, reduced bank profits and overcharging 9-10 per cent extra on the bill amount for gas, electricity and phone if paid after due date? What will you call it when the government also starts “overcharging” its own people and ever increasing the prices/taxes instead of giving any relief to its poor or ordinary citizens?
ENGR. M. Y. CHOHAN
Karachi
IN Dawn’s issue of Sept 20, I saw a picture of a cute leopard cub. But I was shocked when I read the caption of the report, “Capital Zoo loses another leopard cub”. As I read the report I came to know that a lady had raised a leopard cub and when it was seven months old she gave it to the Islamabad zoo, but unfortunately the cub died a day after it was given to the zoo.
When given to the zoo, the cub had been in perfectly good health. The people of the zoo administration, however, say the cub must have died of some illness but the cause of the death is still unknown. People are upset because this is the third cub that has died in the zoo.
That the zoo staff do not seem much concerned about the death of the cub is regrettable, to say the least. I do not think that this should have happened because wildlife creates beauty in this world. Besides, wildlife is part of the ecosystem.
The world has set up organizations such as the WWF to help save such species. Many animals have become either extinct or endangered because of human activities. To save them we should ban hunting of all wildlife, protect their habitats and set up nature reserves.
Our country should also take stricter measures to protect wildlife and each one of us should play a part in this.
SADAF HAYAT
Islamabad
WE have been reading about the frequent hijackings of cars and looting of arriving passengers, usually on Sharea Faisal, or even their being followed to wherever they are headed.
It is interesting to note that only those passengers who arrive from abroad are trapped. In the three cases that I have followed, the passengers had arrived either from Canada or the US. Now of course it’s not stamped on the faces of the passengers where they have come from, but certainly at the time of customs checking the customs officers always ask where the passenger has come from. At that time the only people present there are either the customs officers or the special porters on duty.
I travel quite frequently and many times I have seen shady-looking boys roaming aimlessly around the International Arrivals. It is difficult to ascertain whether these shady-looking people were there to actually receive someone or just keeping a close watch on the arriving passengers. Since they have cell phones, so informing their friends waiting in a car to follow the target passengers is not too difficult. It takes time for the passengers to go to the pickup lane and then the driver goes to fetch the car, therefore there is enough time for the robbers to get their own car and follow the passengers.
I would strongly suggest to the Special Branch to have undercover policemen and look for suspicious elements at such sensitive places like our airport. In any case the shoddy way our cars are checked at the airport arrival is scary enough, we need more hi-tech equipment at such places.
IRUM CHAUDHRY
Karachi
EVER since Pakistan came into being, successive governments and citizens have found it hard to come to terms that the Muslims in India are an independent group that does not look up to Pakistan as a “spiritual and politically savvy” brother. The Pakistanis do not understand as to why the Indian Muslims have not risen up against the authority as did the East Pakistanis. It is too much for the Pakistanis to expect that the Indian Muslims can fight their own battles.
It is not that the Pakistanis love the Indian Muslims and are genuinely concerned about their welfare. How many Pakistanis really care for the Bihari Muslims stranded in Bangladesh? The truth is that this so-called concern for the Indian Muslims stems more from the collective hate and neighbour envy against the Hindus. Truth hurts and most Indian Muslims know this.
A. V. RAO
New York, USA
WITH regard to the recent shipment of Australian sheep rejected by the Pakistan government, I was much impressed, yet surprised, by the government’s refusal to accept the tainted shipment. Once the UAE and Saudi Arabia rejected it and the ship was headed for “an unknown country” in the region, I knew it would be Pakistan.
It is frustrating to see Pakistan being treated like a dumping ground for all tainted cargo. If it is not the diseased sheep on board an Australian carrier, then it’s toxic waste that the Americans want to ship to Pakistan. The reason that things have come to such a pass is that we stooped low and accepted such demands in the past to the detriment of our environment.
I hope the refusal to accept the diseased shipment is not revoked, since negotiations are still in progress with an “undisclosed country” in this region, which could very well be Pakistan again.
ALI REHAN
Dubai, UAE
Much is being written in the press about the stranded Australian sheep. Pakistan did a right thing by declining to accept the Australian offer of these sheep free of cost.
These sheep were originally meant for Saudi Arabia but because of infection contracted by some of these animals the Saudis have refused to take the delivery.
Pakistan’s decision should not disappoint Australia because if these sheep are not fit for the people of Saudi Arabia, they are also not fit for Pakistanis.
G. FAROOQ MANIAR
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter “Pre-paid mobile phone cards” by Mohammed Zaib, published in these columns on Sept 19.
I bought a pre-paid phone card from Mobilink two months ago. These days I am experiencing an interesting situation: whenever I send SMS messages to my relatives and friends, I am not charged for them. I twice called the customer service department and asked them about the procedure of charging for SMS from the pre-paid card. I was told the charges were deducted within 24 to 48 hours, extendable up to 72 hours and not beyond that. For 15 days, no amount has been deducted from my account for using the SMS service.
Has Mobilink declared SMS free? I am sure not, but the reason of writing this is that I do not wish to see my pre-paid card going nil all of a sudden against all the SMS messages that I have sent so far.
M. RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi
BOTH the parking lots of the weekly bazaar in Sector G-9 in Islamabad are in a very dilapidated condition and play havoc with the suspensions of cars.
Many regular shoppers have stopped going to the bazaar. Furthermore, the roads adjacent to it have been declared no parking zones, rightfully so considering the convenience of the nearby residents.
My request to the CDA is to make the parking lots drivable. I am sure this would add to the convenience of the shoppers and improve attendance at the bazaar, held thrice a week.
FAIZ JALAL
Islamabad
SINCE my letter ‘FTC flyover mess’ of Aug 26 the only action taken, the very next day, is that the railings have been painted yellow and red, one strobe light is installed and a couple of reflector tapes stuck where they are not readily visible. That is the value of human life in the eyes of the contractor.
It also proves that the contractor or one of his employees reads the correspondence column of Dawn and they do agree that they have neglected the safety aspect of this work site.
I am grateful to Mr Saleem Raza for enlightening me about the obligations of the contractor under the contract. A person in Quetta has taken an interest in this problem, but not even a word has been said or written from our pro bono publico NGOs.
I don’t know who has really employed this contractor but I request the DIG Traffic to take action against this contractor for obstructing traffic, endangering people’s lives, not taking proper safety precautions, etc. Here is an opportunity for the police to work in the interest of the public by penalizing them at least Rs100,000 a day, retrospectively.
NOWSHERWAN G. IRANI
Karachi
WITH reference to the rejoinder by Mr S. Omar Ahsan of Karachi (Sept 15) to Mr Ayaz Amir’s article headlined “Defence in safe hands”, which appeared on Sept 5, I would to say that it seems Mr Ahsan continues to be in denial of historical facts and suffers from lack of objectivity towards Mr Bhutto who without a doubt was the greatest leader in South Asia, after Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Mr Ayaz Amir is one of the finest writers and is correct in saying that there is no use blaming Mr Bhutto for the ‘65 and ‘71 debacles. The “buck didn’t stop at his desk”. Mr Ahsan thinks that a foreign minister is responsible for “appraising enemy intentions” to the mighty field marshal that the enemy wouldn’t attack. Since when have military rulers started relying on foreign ministers’ foresight and not on their military intelligence agencies?
Mr Ahsan makes references to Mr Bhutto’s quotes out of context while referring to “breaking the legs”, “Thank God, the country has been saved”, etc. I am surprised why he forgot to mention another famous quote, “Idhar Hum, Udhar Tum”, which has been taken out of context throughout our times.
The truth is that Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a patriot and his contribution to Pakistan has no match even to this day. In a short period of five-and-a-half years, he was busy building institutions and gave this country its first permanent constitution which is still the document unifying the federation and respected by all political parties, the first nuclear bomb for detente in the region, dignity of labour and the awareness that the people were the bastion of power. He also gave dignity to the armed forces by bringing back the POWs from India. And how did they pay him back?
One can go on about Mr Bhutto’s contribution but in short our country has not produced another leader of his calibre. Let all the Ahsans of Pakistan admit it and move on. Mr Bhutto did not handpicked Zia as he was profiled the “least likely to stage a coup”. Could the same be said of Nawaz Sharif with respect to our saviour General Sahib in power these days?
In a country that has a history of military interventions, shouldn’t a civilian prime minister consider a general that does not have Bonaparte tendencies? And, lastly, the good stuff was banned to please the mullas but it is still very much available.
UROOJ HUSSEIN
London, UK
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