UNJUST TAXATION: Income tax is basically a tax on income, and the rates should not vary on the basis of the source of income. Let us suppose that an indiv-idual earns Rs1.2 million per year. The tax liability against the same amount, as per the current rates, will be Rs15,000 for salary income, Rs39,000 for property rental income, Rs75,000 for business-based income, Rs66,000 on income based on services, and Rs180,000 if the income is based on bank profit/interest. In other words, a retired person, who is no more active in life and has placed all his life earnings in a bank, or in government securities to sustain his family, ends up paying 12 times more tax than a young salaried person who has a long way to go in life. This anomaly is something to be looked into by the authorities concerned.

Saghir A. Khan
Karachi

STUTTERING DAY: The World Stuttering Day was observed recently (Oct 22) in order to create mass awareness about a disability that is made worse by people’s tendency to make fun of those who stutter. The resultant feelings of shame, fear or anxiety cause psychological tra-uma, forcing the victim into isolation. Stuttering or stammering occurs through involuntary word repetition and temporary impediments in producing sounds and words besides other symptoms. Prevalence data from Pakistan is not available, but we should all be very mindful during our interactions with the afflicted ones.

Saleem Raza
Quetta

RELIEVED: As a frequent user of the Lyari Expressway, I feel a bit uneasy on the Mauripur Road where my mobile phone and cash have been snatched. Unfortunately, the area has been rather notorious for conitnued mugging incid-ents. However, recently, I was relieved to see Rangers standing on the roadside as well as close to the pedestrian bridge, carrying out snap checking. Such effective as well as additional security steps have enabled people like me to heave a sigh of relief. I sincerely hope that this arrangement will continue.

Zia ul Islam
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024