THIS is with reference to the editorial ‘Revamping tax policy’ (Dec 26). One should be forgiven for thinking that Pakistan was created for facilitating looting and plundering by smugglers, tax-evaders as well as other such ‘worthy’ citizens.

When one sees media advertisements for building projects worth a trillion rupees (which appeared in the same issue of the newspaper), one wonders why the real estate sector is left untaxed.

My driver’s cousin had to borrow Rs3 million from friends and relatives to pay an agent who helped him get a Canadian visa and work permit.

Unsurprisingly, the victims of the recent boat tragedy near Greece paid up to Rs3.5 million each to agents to get into that country illegally.

In contrast, more than three million Pakistanis go to Saudi Arabia every year without paying due taxes, while from Bangladesh the figure is just 300,000. Obviously, there are thousands, if not more, of tax-evaders in the country. But the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is unable to ‘identify’ them.

Our restaurants and shopping malls are full of people whoare seen buying and stuffing themselves with clothes and food, and our wedding halls overflow with wealthy women wearing jewellery worth millions. Yet, we have less than a million taxpayers because the FBR is simply unable to ‘identify’ tax-evaders.

Unfortunately, each and every succ-essive government in Pakistan has lacked the courage to take action against those who evade taxes.

But, then, is this not because we have been ruled for decades by those who have exempted themselves from paying taxes?

Shakir Lakhani
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025