TWO very similar news stories were carried by Dawn in its June 5 issue, however 50 years apart. One from 1969 (from the past pages of Dawn) in 50 years ago column ‘Declare assets by 16th’ and the other the main banner story ‘No amnesty after expiry of amnesty scheme: PM’.

After five decades, attempts by both martial law authorities at that time and presently the civil setup are still ‘work in progress’ efforts.

When you read both stories in detail you would be surprised that being 50 years apart they are so similar to each other as if nothing has changed and no progress was made. The government is still going after rich people living with lavish style now as it was doing in martial law times of 1969; quite appalling to note.

The main reason that Pakistan is still struggling to bring its elite and privileged class in to the tax net is rampant corruption at all levels of government departments and people with high authority.

It becomes a nexus between the rich who want to get away by not paying their due share as per economic obligations of a citizen and the people in high offices who can let them go on one pretext or the other.

With this change at the helm some 10 months ago, it is quite evident that it is difficult to break those connections between the opulent and the equally complicit government machinery ready to bend the rules.

It has been a dilemma for 50 years.

A Pakistani
Canada

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2019