| October 25, 2006 | Wednesday | Shawwal 1, 1427 |
To send a letter to the Editor
Click here
One step forward, two back
An Indian writer on Kargil
Is Pakistan safe for investors?
Islamabad put on terror notice
Armenian ‘genocide’
Better to be safe than sorry
Anti-Muslim hysteria
Beyond the veil
PIA in trouble with EU
Return of the prodigal?
Outdated website
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
THE government has not been able to form and practise a just, uniform and consistent policy of taxation and, as a result, the process of taxation in Pakistan is a shambles. Indeed, it has become a tool in the hands of the privileged and powerful elites and groups. They pressure, bribe or influence the authorities to impose a new tax or increase the rate of an old one to reap the benefits or to harm their rivals. Taxes are imposed or reduced to suit this or that elite.
The 1973 Constitution has clearly provided that “imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax” would fall in the jurisdiction of the Finance Bill to be passed by the National Assembly. But during the 1980s when there was no National Assembly, this power was usurped by the Central Board of Revenue which imposed duties, withdrew duties, exempted industries from payment of taxes and duties, and made refunds with retrospective effect when somebody had to be favoured.
Investments open doors for economic prosperity to a larger extent but investment is directly related with taxation. It is the rate of tax that determines the volume of investment. It’s a fact that besides political instability and deteriorating law and order situation, high tax rates have played an important role in retarding the growth of domestic as well as foreign investment. Despite utmost efforts of various governments, the volume of investment has been static.
From the point of view of taxpayers, the mechanism of tax collection is very difficult, complicated and cumbersome, besides being time-consuming. Today Pakistan has a mind-boggling taxation system that defies comprehension of the average citizens. The tax-assessing and tax-collecting officials enjoy unlimited discretionary powers, and by using these powers, they harass and blackmail the tax-payers, and extort money from them.
Why do people resort to tax-evasion? The first answer to this question that comes to mind is that people do not want to lose what is their own. The English actor, after paying his tax to the tax-collector, said: “Sir, I now pay you this exorbitant charge, but I must ask you to explain to Her Majesty (Queen Victoria) that she must not in future look upon me as a source of income.” Too much control, too much law and too much tax tend to make people ‘unethical.’ They start inventing ways to evade what is imposed unethically upon them.
It is time to reinvigorate the country’s efforts to implement fundamental tax reforms to ensure sustained rapid economic growth and poverty reduction and that can only be done with a just and informed decision by the leadership of our country.
NAUSHAIR HAIDER MALLI
London, UK
THIS is with reference to Asaf Ali Shah’s letter (Oct 14) and Pervez Hoodbhoy’ letter (Oct 18) on the subject ‘One step forward, two back’. Mr Shah requested Dr Hoodbhoy to do him a favour by quoting the provision in the Hudood laws, if any, which says that a woman alleging rape will be presumed guilty of fornication or adultery, unless she can produce witnesses in support of her allegation. Mr Hoodbhoy cited the famous 1983 case of Safia Bibi, the 13-year-old blind girl who was charged with adultery after she was raped by her employer and his son. The rapists were acquitted, while the girl suffered in torment for many years before being released from jail.
It appears that what Mr Shah actually wanted to ask was if there was any provision in Hudood Ordinance, though he referred to ‘Hudood laws’ and not ‘Hudood Ordinance’, which provided that a woman alleging rape will be presumed guilty of fornication or adultery, unless she can produce witnesses in support of her allegation.
It should be clarified that the Hudood Ordinance nowhere provides that in case of failure of woman to provide four male eyewitnesses when she alleges rape, it should be assumed that she has committed an offence of adultery. What the Hudood Ordinance provides is that rape can only be proved by confession of the accused or production of four male eye witnesses who have witnessed the offence of rape.
However, a woman is sent to jail after being charged with adultery if, after levelling allegation of rape, she fails to produce four male eyewitnesses. It is a simple case of bad interpretation of law.
However, since such an interpretation is of Hudood Ordinance, it is referred to as Hudood laws. It is hoped that the matter is clarified and it may be added here that whenever a law is drafted in haste and without deliberation, there will always be such absurd interpretations. Therefore, I agree with Mr Hoodbhoy’s conclusion that the Hudood laws should be repealed.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Lahore
A GENERAL impression regarding the Kargil conflict is that it was a failure for Pakistan. This impression has been created by our own intelligentsia, the politicians and the weekly column writers. The unfavourable portrait of the outcome stems from a desire not to praise the army, as it was not a part of their manifesto. Therefore, I am grateful to the Indian writer Kuldip Nayar that as his latest gift to Pakistan, he has exposed some of the crises that the Indian army had to face sequal to the occupation of Kargil heights by Pakistani troops. Those who condemn the Kargil action as a failure should read Kuldip Nayar’s article (Oct 14)
The article has confirmed that the Indian air force had no coordination with the Indian army throughout the period of the Kargil crisis. The former was annoyed to have been ignored by their army. The air force refused to give helicopters to the Indian army due to which, it is said, the army failed miserably to evict the ‘intruders’ from the Kargil area. “There was no coordination and equation between the army and the air force”. The army was left at its own and could not deliver goods in the Kargil Operation.
Putney, the head of Western Air Command, has been quoted: “When national security is at stake, it is important for us to admit our mistakes. The air force has done it”. There were complaints against the much publicised “Subramaniam Committee” which went into the acts of omission and commission in Kargil. It failed to bring out the contradictions and lack of coordination. Also, it did not represent all the services of the armed forces. The Indian army did not want to inform the ministry of defence, until very late, etc., etc.
It is not only Kuldip Nayar who has penned some of the “blues” about India’s setbacks. There are other sources where the Indian army has been exposed as a complete failure as a fighting machine in the mountains; where the nation was betrayed by their forces and where the greatest democracy and the fourth biggest army of the world had sought the help of the US to ask Pakistan to vacate the heights. We must correct the bearing of our perception about the great impact of Kargil as a brilliant military manoeuvre in the region.
BRIG (r) A.Q. ANJUM
Rawalpindi
IT is so nice to know that the president and the prime minister say that Pakistan is a safe place for investment.
This theme is communicated to all foreigners and businessmen by our country’s leadership, who could be provided confidence to invest in Pakistan, and rightly so, since, the above statement is made by the highest authority in Pakistan, hence, the credibility of afore-mentioned assurance is undeniable. We, the overseas Pakistanis, therefore, should feel overly comfortable that the president and the prime minister will definitely adhere to the above line of their policy all the time with all investors.
Following this line, our leadership should immediately instruct the SECP administrator or the SBP to repay investments of CSIBL (Crescent Standard Investment Bank Limited) depositors and creditors, as this action of the government shall prove the assertion of the president and the prime minister of Pakistan to be true.
It would also let foreign investors know that the Pakistan government means business, and it sticks to its principle, that is, investments are really safe in Pakistan.
It may be added here that there is complete silence from the SECP on the repayment of deposits and placements for quite sometimes now.
In addition, there is no word in the media as to sale or merger of the CSIBL with any entity. Hence, it is requested that the government should intervene more quickly and resolve the burning issue of the CSIBL without any delay, as early repayments to the CSIBL’s investors would greatly enhance the confidence of foreign investors.
DANIAL DAUD
Austin, US
THIS is with reference to the news item ‘India has put Islamabad on terror notice: Singh’ (Oct 19). Indian PM Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee have declared that despite their efforts to improve dialogue with Pakistan and speeding up the peace process, “Pakistan’s internal situation has deteriorated to the extent of threatening regional peace”
It seems that both gentlemen are completely unaware of what is happening around them. Either that or, not for the first time, Indian intelligence is bent on maligning Pakistan’s reputation by putting out such kinds of statements. The latter is probably the case. Since the war on terror has begun, Pakistan has paid a heavy price for its alliance with the US.
There has been internal backlash by hardliners as well as terrorists fleeing into Pakistan from Afghanistan. Despite this situation, Pakistan has done a commendable job in bringing these unsavoury elements to justice and has won bounties worth millions of dollars for the capture of a large number of terrorists. Not only this, Pakistan has also managed to end the Baloch uprising as well as control the unrest in Waziristan.
Seemingly unaware of all this, India keeps saying that Pakistan’s attempts to bring internal stability are ‘cosmetic’. India has had plenty of internal unrest of its own over the years with regard to Sikh uprisings and Nagaland. The fact that it has the nerve to put the sole blame of supposed infiltration across the LoC on Pakistan despite all of Pakistan’s efforts in conflict resolution bears testament to the fact that India is the one that is not inclined towards peace. As always, the Indian authorities continue to undermine Pakistan’s efforts and it is this hostile attitude that has always been the cause of Indo-Pakistan conflicts. Many Indian governments have passed and each reveals the same ideology and viewpoint where relations with Pakistan are concerned.
SOHAIB KHALID HASHMI
Karachi
THIS refers to the letter ‘Armenian genocide’ by Dr Muhammad Sabir (Oct 22). The letter writer has rightly pointed out the errors and one-sided approach in Robert Fisk’s article “The Armenian genocide is no secret” (Oct 17). I would like to add some as well. Robert Fisk has blamed that 1.5 million Armenians were killed which is a sham, because there is no data available to authenticate the claim. Ottoman sultans brought peace and harmony to the region and to blame the Ottomans for motivating the murders is highly condemnable. Mr Fisk used the term ‘Jewish holocaust’ in his article which is misleading. The correct term would be ‘Nazi-inflicted holocaust’ because Jews, Gypsies, Poles, Slavs, devout Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the physically and mentally handicapped were also killed. Another important and misleading point in the article was that six million Jews were brutally killed in the holocaust. Since the end of World War II, historians and researchers have argued over the Jewish and western claim that six million ever died or not. Some researchers have put the number of deaths at less than two million. Further, it’s also a fact that during the Nazi regime Jews politically motivated the murders of Jews and others in order to return to the Promised Land. According to Manvell and Frankl (Heinrich Himmler London, 1965), the policy of genocide “seems to have been arrived at” after “secret discussions” between Hitler and Himmler. Robert Fisk’s article and the French parliament decision regarding holocaust deniers have also raised fingers at the idea of freedom of expression and thought. Since there is no authentic data available to prove that 1.5 million Armenians and six million Jews were killed, therefore the West has no right to say anything on the subject without proper facts. There is a difference between freedom of speech and the telling of lies. The first defends human rights; the second negates these. Concentration camps during the Nazi regime are now replaced by Gutanamo Bay and Abu Gharib prison. Muslim anger against the French parliament’s decision is valid. How will the western people react if a Muslim country passes a bill that anyone denying the Muslim holocaust in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kashmir and Bosnia will be fined 45,000 euros and one-year prison term?
KHALIL ZAFAR
Karachi
I WOULD like to seek attention of the government and the nazim of Hyderabad regarding the spread of the fatal Dengue virus. Due to the disastrous monsoon rains in Hyderabad, there is stagnant water all over the city which is breeding mosquitoes everywhere. If in a cosmopolitan city like Karachi the virus has caused such havoc and scare, what will happen if it starts spreading in Hyderabad?
What is the government waiting for? Is it waiting for the deadly virus to spread here so that more people can die? The government should take steps to remove the stagnant water, fumigate the city and prevent the disaster because Hyderabad is not strong enough to cope with an epidemic which could potentially claim hundreds of lives.
HIRA SHAH
Hyderabad
I AM not a Muslim myself, though I am of Arab heritage, and was pleased to read Jonathan Freedland’s piece on anti-Muslim hysteria. He raised many of the points that I have been quietly making to friends over the last weeks as the furore over British attitudes toward the veil have surfaced.
Here in the US we have a number of religious communities, such as the Amish and several Jewish communities, who dress differently than those of the majority, they speak different languages, and could be said to set themselves apart from the mainstream. Far from being viewed as a threat, however, these sub-cultures are generally looked upon as contributing to the wonderful diversity of our nation’s culture.
Any suggestion that any of these groups be compelled to dress like the rest of us would be viewed as an example of the worst sort of bigotry. We Arab and Muslim-Americans do suffer from discrimination, bias and bigotry, but the very idea that the government would legislate or otherwise proscribe how we should dress and behave is ludicrous.
I hope that the British, who travelled around the world creating an empire and in doing so probably didn’t give a damn about whether or not they offended the natives of their colonies by dressing like English people, will grow up and leave law-abiding Muslim citizens alone.
DAVE HALL
New York, USA
IT was sad to read Mr Irfan Husain’s column ‘Beyond the veil’ (Oct 14). The writer perhaps failed to grasp the concept behind Islamic dress code.
He has unnecessarily criticised the Muslim ladies who follow it and tried to portray them as doing something futile. To prove his point, he even went on to compare these brave Muslim ladies who put on a veil as part of Islamic dress code with ladies working in fields and ladies from his family and friends who do not cover up like they do.
This has otherwise become a fashion among westward-looking moderate Muslims to criticise those Muslims who are following Islam as being either fundamentalists or members of some Al Qaeda sort of terrorist outfit.
The fact, however, is very simple. Most of the people who follow Islam in its true sense are doing it just for one reason, i.e., to please Allah. So one should not judge others as right or wrong based on own likings or lack of knowledge.
IMRAN MALIK
Islamabad
EVERY new CEO of PIA wants to have his signature logo painted on PIA aircraft, as if this would make any substantive difference. The new management has hired foreign airhostesses from Kenya, Germany, Ireland, Thailand, Japan, etc., and are paying them international salary packages although almost 98 per cent of PIA clients are of Pakistani origin. PIA has also hired a few senior executives at salaries almost four to five times of what is paid to PIA employees serving in a similar category or position.
In spite of all these superficial changes, the national airline has been given a stern reprimand by the European Union for faltering in maintenance procedures. All the other airlines given similar warning or banned are not well-known, most being chartered carriers. Clearly, there is something seriously wrong with the airline’s priorities. Instead of spending money on maintenance of its fleet, it is being wasted by embarking on ventures which will have no effect on boosting revenues.
The employees are unmotivated. The airlines executive floor is dominated by mediocrity or those with no experience in aviation. The net result of an arrogant management is that PIA is fast losing most of its specialists. Blacklisting by the EU bodes of more serious crisis to follow.
NASIR KHAN
Peshawar
THROUGHOUT Ramazan learned preachers have been appearing on the various TV channels to impress upon viewers the significance of the holy month and the importance of ‘namaz’ and ‘roza’. It was surprising, therefore, (for me at least, anyway) to watch the film star Meera sermonising about the same on a private channel. Meera has made a reputation for herself in the past but hardly for matters dealing with religion. Maybe it’s a case of “subh ka bhula ... ?”
TARIQ RAZA
Woking, UK
AS an overseas Pakistani residing in the UAE, it is extremely disheartening to notice that our consulate’s website is extremely outdated. The site was even hacked by certain individuals recently who directed certain links to a pornographic site.
The investment and trade section discusses the country’s fiscal year of 1998-1999. Under the media and culture section only a few links actually work, while others simply are not available. Under the education sections all the links have been blocked by the local authorities.
I strongly urge the relevant authorities to review such things as they cast a negative image about our country. Perhaps our well-spoken and learned foreign minister would like to throw some light on this.
ALI REHAN
Dubai, UAE
You can also send letters to the Editor
Just send your message to the following address: letters@dawn.com
Make sure you include your full name, postal address, e-mail address, and in the case of Pakistan your day-time telephone number.