Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Menace
of tax evasion
The Finance Minister’s decision to impose extra sales tax, which will progressively increase in proportion to electricity charges consumed by non-filers, is being resisted as if it were a gross brutality.
One only hopes that the Federal Government will not budge to blackmail. Digital tax collection and tax assessment is being practised all over the developed world.
The biggest threat to national security and state sovereignty is our failure to achieve economic stability and self- reliance through massive tax evasion and loopholes built-in by a corrupt bureaucracy.
For Pakistan to get out of this economic mess every retail or wholesale outlet and manufacturer must have their sales and distribution digitally monitored with minimal human involvement of FBR, which is part of the problem, unless it is reformed through surgical cleansing.
For any system of governance, whether it is a free market economy, socialism or Islamic system, it cannot work without tax collection across the board and a welfare system for the most deprived.
Successive governments over the past five decades have promoted tax evasion through repetitive tax amnesty schemes and financial indiscipline.
Unfortunately, the state and its institutions are also involved in institutionalized corruption by failing to prosecute those involved in this gross irregularity.
This country has been driven to financial insolvency by resorting to taking foreign and domestic debts to meet its non-development expenditure and granting paid elite perks, privileges, plot allotments etc., which are not given anywhere in the developed countries.
The manner in which the State buckled down and failed to collect GIDC from the big fertilizer and cement manufacturers is a classic example of how the system is hostage to these powerful groups, some of them monopolized by commercial corporate conglomerates linked with powerful groups. Smuggling is like a cancer that erodes an economy, yet we have witnessed numerous amnesty schemes to regularize this crime.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Tribal clashes
It’s a great misfortune that the oldest and civilized nation is engaged in tribal conflicts, especially in Sindh’s interior districts of Kashmore, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Ghotki and Larkana.
Hundreds of thousands of innocent lives fell prey to these vendettas erupted on petty matters like stealing an animal, water rotation, area of land, marital disputes, love marriages, inheritance, Karo Kari (honour killing), recovering borrowed money, etc.
Recently, a bloody tribal feud between Sabzoi-Jagirani and Chachar brothers claimed nine precious lives within the Chachar community in Kashmore’s Katcha area.
It’s pertinent to mention that more than 19 individuals from each side have been killed in this dispute. Furthermore, the police and elected political figures are not doing anything to control this alarming situation.
This fight has been ongoing for years yet the Sindh Government is reluctant to curb this menace. Interior Sindh’s Katcha areas are deprived of basic life facilities and amenities.
Schools remain permanently closed since years while healthcare centres aren’t functional due to “No-Go” areas. The state’s writ isn’t maintained here either.
Sindhis are renowned for their love, harmony, peace, tranquillity and brotherhood for being extremely civilized, pacifist, hospitable and owners of Mohenjo-Daro, the world’s earliest civilization.
However, the province is now burning with tribal clashes and murders. Why are the influential people always silent and blindfolded over the loss of nine Chachar lives that’ve unknowingly been killed?
How long will we face inhuman customs like feudalism and honour killing? Let’s play our role on a humanitarian basis to motivate warring factions of the society to patch up their differences and old enmities and develop friendly and brotherly relationship among them to promote peace and mutual harmony in the province.
USAMA MUGHAL
Kashmore
Where are the teachers?
The Government Boys High School Balnigwar is the only high school of Balnigwar (sub-tehsil), Balochistan.
Children from different villages in surrounding areas study in this school to gain education and brighten their future.
However, the school is experiencing a lack of teachers, which is problematic for the students as they can obviously not be builders of the nation without a teacher to teach and guide them.
According to the students, only nine out of 21 teachers and lecturers are present and fulfilling their duties.
As for now, the school has managed to take temporary teachers on board, there’s no telling when they leave. It is my plea to the government of Balochistan to take serious action regarding on this matter.
HAMMAL NASEER
Turbat
Food waste
Considering the sheer amount of people around the world that die of starvation, food wastage remains a huge problem that seriously needs to be dealt with.
Nearly one-third of all food produced in the world is discarded for various reasons, equating to nearly 1.3 million tons of food wastage every year.
It’s no surprise that First World countries waste more food as compared to developing nations because they have the monopoly of global resource distribution. Furthermore, they acquire and import cheap food by exploiting other countries.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an average American generated 2,019 pounds of food waste in 2010.
The discarded food is sent to landfills where it rots and produces the second most common greenhouse gas, methane.
In other words, throwing away food further contributes to climate change and global warming.
Another serious problem that goes hand in hand is that people are consuming more and more junk food on a daily basis. Not only does junk food adversely affect a person’s health but food vendors are notoriously known for throwing away lots of leftover food and waste.
Doctors claim that increased cases of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are a direct result of excessive junk food intake.
The situation is no different in Pakistan as many have resorted to ordering food online during the lockdown. I, therefore, urge the relevant authorities to take a notice of the issue and request every individual to cook fresh food at home and enjoy a healthy and hearty meal with your family.
HAMMAL NASEER
Via email
