| 28 September 2004 | Tuesday | 12 Shaban 1425 |
Ensuring good governance
Performance of ministers
The smart bomb
Capital outflow
Questions to CBR
MMA's offer to review amendments
Call cards
Military rulers
Iraq war
Changing values
Helping visa applicants
Obstacles on the road
Fast bowling
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The letter by Mr Ameerul Azim ("Jamaat's stand over 'war on terror'", Sept 26) defends the brutal Taliban regime and glosses over their excesses by questioning the veracity of newspaper accounts in the western press.
However, the vicious treatment of women by the Taliban who turned thousand upon thousands of Afghan women professionals into beggars on the streets cannot be wished away. The Taliban were the worst role models for Muslims and, by their extreme actions such as the demolition of the statues of Buddha in Afghanistan, lent support to the stereotype of Muslims that is widely prevalent in the West.
The establishment of institutions such as the 'ministry for the prevention of vice and the promotion of virtue' in an effort to control the personal actions of people in the technological advanced world of the 21st century was totally absurd and unenforceable except through repression.
Moreover, there is a greater issue worth considering in this context. The government of Pakistan, rightly or wrongly, is engaged in a war with the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The religious parties have little use for nationalism, but the majority of people in all countries, including Pakistan, do.
To stand up against one's own government in support of foreign terrorists and a government that most Pakistanis were happy to see disbanded for its likely negative ideological influence on Pakistan should really be viewed as being harmful to the country's interests.
M.HAIDER
New Jersey, USA
(2)
This is in response to the letter (Sept 26) by Mr Ameerul Azim, information secretary of the Jamaat-i-Islami. Mr Azim preposterously claims that the execution of women in a stadium by the Taliban was a fictitious incident propagated by CNN and Fox News as if one should not believe his or her own eyes. Furthermore, I have seen these atrocities by the Taliban on Al-Jazeera and other Arab TV networks. What does Mr Azim has to say now?
And the reason given by Mr Azim for the validity of his claim is more preposterous than the claim itself - that the families of the victims would have come out to seek compensation. Compensation from the Taliban?
Mr Azim and his leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed live in a delusional world. Our society needs redemption from this particular mindset which refuses to apply even the slight critical thinking to the realities of this world.
KHURRAM HANEEF
New Jersey, USA
Ensuring good governance
When our faith, culture, traditions and moral values are not like those of western societies, why should we follow the parliamentary form of system which has failed to deliver?
In India the parliamentary system is working for the simple reason that India adopted its constitution shortly after independence and declared itself a secular state. Moreover, it carried out land reforms and ended special privileges enjoyed by rajas, sardars and others.
An opportunity to become leaders was provided to the people belonging to low-income groups, unlike in Pakistan where political power is reserved for the feudal class.
A political system capable of changing the destiny of the nation is the need of the hour. The district government system introduced by Gen Musharraf to empower the masses and establish democracy at the grassroots level has not so far been able to solve the people's problems because of the dismal behaviour of provincial legislators who want to have funds and look after development work in their consistencies themselves instead of paying attention to legislation.
We need a political system that can change the status quo. For this there should be an effective federal government, a federal assembly with members elected from each district on the basis of its population, and having 40 per cent women representatives.
They should be confined to a policymaking role, while the responsibility for implementing policies should be entrusted to the district governments, in which the nazim must have a mandate of the district residents after being elected directly for four years.
Similarly, the president should be elected through direct election. By getting rid of the Senate, provincial assemblies and a number of redundant government departments at the centre and in the provinces, and with small efficient, competent bureaucrats and elected representatives, the dream of good governance can be realized.
S.T. HUSSAIN
Lahore
Performance of ministers
Mr Shaukat Aziz in his panel interview (Dawn, on Sept 7) has spoken about fixing targets for ministers and secretaries and minced no words in saying that the move has made a lot of people "nervous".
He has also stated he would be very tough on performance and that the secretary concerned, in his capacity as principal accounting officer, would be responsible for over viewing the performance of the ministry and in no circumstances he (the PM) would allow the ping pong mode of dealing with files.
The practice in vogue requires the ministries/divisions to furnish quarterly/annual reports to the cabinet division regarding their activities; the reports are then placed before the National Assembly.
The reports furnished to the cabinet division lack in substance, with no specific objective/action plan. One wonders why our ministries/divisions/ departments have no laid-down objective and the action plan for a particular year which may later establish as to whether the prescribed objectives were accomplished or not.
In this context, the performance of ministries like industries and production and commerce needs to be monitored carefully by establishing their targets for a particular period.
There are only two qualities in the world: efficiency and inefficiency, and only two sorts of people: the efficient and the inefficient. It is immutable law that words are words, explanations are explanations, and promises are promises, but only performance is reality.
It is time every ministry/division/department had a specific objective/action plan in a particular year and the minister and the secretary concerned held accountable. Those who do not perform well should be weeded out.
M.S. UPPAL
Karachi
The smart bomb
The United States has sold 5,000 smart bombs to Israel ostensibly to send a strong signal to Iran. Simultaneously Bush has declared that the US will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear capability.
It feels that Iran has enough oil and gas reserves and does not need nuclear energy to supplement its resources. It is strange that the US has taken upon itself to determine the future energy needs of Iran. The question is: will it allow some other country to do that in respect of its own requirements?
It appears that America wants to accomplish this sinister aim through Israel which has a history of preemptively destroying Iraq's nuclear facilities. Iran sensing the threat has warned Israel to desist from any such misadventure or else it will have to pay an unbearable price for doing so.
Iran must realize that it is faced with a real threat and not mere rhetoric. Smart bombs are satellite-guided precision weapons with deep penetration capability and are designed to destroy hardened concrete targets up to two metres of thickness deep down the surface.
Iran appears to be still some distance away from nuclear weapons capability. It must, therefore, protect its assets and refrain from indulging in tough talk which may convey the wrong message to its adversaries. It should comply with the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and pay attention to the advice of the European community and the Islamic world.
The US on its part should learn a lesson from Iraq and Afghanistan and should not open up yet another front in Iran. This will multiply its problems and further alienate it from the Islamic world.
S.M.H.BOKHARI
Rawalpindi
Capital outflow
Based on the figures reported in Dawn (Sept 14), the monthly total of foreign exchange flowing out from Karachi airport alone in connivance with the customs and other law-enforcement agencies comes to $450 million. Add another $450 million from other outlets, and the total comes to about $900 million a month.
The outflow of foreign exchange from the country is nothing new. When foreign exchange accounts were frozen during the government of Nawaz Sharif, the banks were forced to open in the middle of the night before and $800 million was transferred out of the country at a go.
Who can force the banks to open at that hour? The authorities were deaf and dumb then and so are today. In a state of affairs like that, one can imagine gross financial mismanagement in addition to corruption at the highest level.
Remittances from abroad, particularly from the Gulf countries, came down during the first quarter of the fiscal year. And in the present circumstances, the money will be held back and invested there.
Although attempts were made in the past to discourage hundi remittances, the system is active again and not without a reason. I quote an example. In July last year, a friend wanted to remit his savings back home.
He went to a Pakistani bank (UBL) to find out the exchange rate, which was quoted at Rs15.70 to a UAE Dh compared to the market (hundi) rate of Rs15.95. On Dh100,000, the difference is Rs25,000 in the end.
The questions do not end here. Are people and their money safe back home? The common person is at a loss to understand what he can do in a situation like this. We talk of the national interest, democracy, justice, protection, welfare state and what not. Forget all this for the next 50 or so years if we can't change things for the better.
HAJI ASHFAQ
Muscat
Questions to CBR
The Central Board of Revenue's guidance is sought on the following points:
1. How would a taxpayer (a private limited company) whose refund is delayed and when finally paid is accompanied with additional payment for delayed refund treat the additional payment (compensation)?
a) Treat the compensation as income from business and pay tax on the same as per regular source of income?
b) Treat the same as 'special receipts', show it in the profit and loss account and at the time of calculation of taxable income for payment of tax 'exclude the same from the preview of taxable income'.
c) Treat the same as 'capital receipts" and show it as part of profit and loss appropriation account and claim exemption of the same as 'not taxable'.
2. Compensation (additional payment for delayed refund) being 'healing of wounds of the assessee' and/or 'penalty imposed on the department for delay and not upholding the law in letter and in spirit' and/or 'fine-cum-penalty on the department for wilful delay in issuance of refund' (refer to various rulings by the federal tax ombudsman). Is compensation for delayed payment a source of income of the assessee?
3. Can compensation for which no venture in the nature of trade, business or profession is carried out and which is not at all the regular/occasional source of income of a taxpayer be termed taxable or be taxed?
4. If such amount of compensation is taxable, then why is deduction of tax at source not done by the income-tax department at the time of issuance of compensation?
5. If compensation is taxable and received by a private limited company, wouldn't the very objective of compensation be defeated if the same is taxed at 43 per cent, thus practically leaving very little compensation?
6. 'Delay in issuance of refund' having been declared maladministration: can redressal of injustice in the shape of additional payment for delayed refund be usurped by treating it as taxable?
7. Can compensation be axed by bringing it into the taxable net?
8. Is there any clear provision in the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 which categorizes and speaks of taxing 'additional payment u/s 171' as taxable.
The CBR's guidance and clarification would help us in streamlining the filing of income-tax return of our company.
HAIDERUDDIN TIPU
Karachi
MMA's offer to review amendments
It is good news (Sept 25) that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) wants supremacy of parliament. If they want to achieve this goal, they have to forgo all amendments in the Constitution.
Some of the amendments are religious in tone - such as those relating to the religion of the head of state, speaker of the National Assembly, chiefs of the armed forces, defining who is a Muslim, and the blasphemy and Hudood laws.
The religious minorities are sincere to Pakistan. The amendments that bar them from fully participating in the social, political and economic life of the country are tantamount to declaring them as second-class citizens of Pakistan. Does this religious bias on the part of religious parties not promote the culture of discrimination and stop Pakistanis from becoming a united nation?
ASHAR J. KHOKHAR
Leeds, UK
Call cards
There is something erratic about the functioning of PTCL call cards. When the card number is fed into the phone, the dialler is informed that the number dialled is incorrect and asked to redial. This goes on repeatedly, even when utmost care is taken to dial the number correctly.
Finally, one gives up in utter frustration and is denied a call. Will PTCL explain this exasperating phenomenon? Why does the prompt goes on asking for redialling again and again, even when the number is correctly dialled? Is there any remedy?
A. AHMED
Lahore
Military rulers
General Ayub Khan did not follow his own installed constitution and handed over the presidency to General Yahya Khan. Yahya Khan committed to hand over the government to whoever won the 1970 elections but passed the power on to the runner up instead of the winner.
General Ziaul Haq promised a fair election in 90 days but ruled for 11 years. General Pervez Musharraf stated in public to remove his uniform before December 31 this year, but he now has backed out from his statement.
Politicians in our country are blamed for going back on their promises. Judge for yourself the credibility of our leaders in uniform.
DR FARRUKH KHAN
Karachi
Iraq war
The admission made by the UN secretary-general in a recent interview with the BBC that the US-led war on Iraq was illegal cannot change the course of history, nor can it heal the wounds of the Iraqi people or restore the prestige of the UN.
However, one positive effect of this statement may be that the Bush administration may think twice before taking action against Iran or Syria.
DR ZAINAB RIZVI
Lahore
Changing values
Mr Sultan Ahmed in his article "High cost of a large cabinet" (Sept 16) has pointed out how our officials vie for performing Umra at the expense of the state.
In contrast to that, in 1903, the then Begum of Bhopal, Sultan Jehan, while proceeding to Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj offered to take selected citizens of the state in her entourage, free of charge.
I was greatly amazed to read that the Bhopalis rejected the offer of free passage, stating: "Pilgrimage is required to be earned and not performed on charity" (Reference The Begums of Bhopal).
As compared to the above, our present-day generation pounces upon any opportunity - be that at the cost of public exchequer or otherwise - to board a plane or ship.
MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
Helping visa applicants
I refer to your editorial on the above subject (Sept 21). The measures announced by the government of India and reportedly under the consideration of the Pakistan government will be of immense benefit to elderly people in particular.
Another aspect which merits consideration is the current procedure of receipt of applications and delivery of passports/visas. Applicants have to queue up at Islamabad as well at New Delhi from about midnight.
Even then they are not sure whether they will be able to submit their applications on the same day. Both the Pakistani and Indian governments may consider allowing a drop-in facility through specified courier services - a practice already followed by certain embassies.
Besides, the bulk of visitors belongs to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Hence, a bus service between Lahore and Amritsar would be very helpful.
SABIN UDDIN AHMAD
Islamabad
Obstacles on the road
A few days back I was with friends at a restaurant just opposite the Bahria Auditorium on Karachi's Karsaz Road. Road expansion work was going on there, and large stones could be seen on the road.
After a short while we heard a loud cry and saw a crowd gathering on the road. We joined the crowd and saw a woman lying on the ground, bleeding and crying for help and her husband trying to pick himself up.
The couple was going to a wedding on a motorbike. They couldn't spot a large stone on the road and crashed into it. The woman's condition was critical and she was rushed to a hospital.
I request the authorities concerned to clear the road off all such obstacles.
SHAKAEB CHUGHTAI
Karachi
Fast bowling
During the break in the one-dayer trial game at the Rawalpindi stadium on February 2, 2001, while discussing fast bowling with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younus, I was waxing lyrical about Fazal Mahmood's ability to swing and cut the ball both ways with mechanical accuracy. Both shouted in unison: "But, Sir, what was his pace, what was his pace?" According to an article by Mr Omar Kureishi, obviously Keith Miller also resorted to pace as the only one up against Fazal.
Little did these greats realize that Fazal was not a genuine fast bowler. He and Bedser were in a category of their own fast medium swing and cut bowlers. Perhaps the quickest of the breed has probably been Fazal since he had the best overhead action the game has seen. Certainly, his nip off the wicket was very sharp and the whip from leg-stump to off-stump was cobra-quick.
And I am sorry to have to correct my friend Omar Kureishi that the only true legends have been Fazal and Hanif.
F.S. AIZAZUDDIN
Karachi
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