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New Year celebrations
Every year, as December 31st approaches, Pakistanis gear up for grand celebrations to welcome the New Year. From dazzling fireworks to packed streets, every landmark and society seems to have its own way of celebrating. But amidst all this noise and chaos, one has to wonder: are we losing sight of what truly matters?
Celebrating New Year’s doesn’t have to mean hours spent stuck in traffic, loud honking, and packed roads where people seem to care more about making noise than making memories. The streets become chaotic, filled with sounds of blaring horns, and sadly, even celebratory gunfire late into the night. The damage caused by stray bullets, which can hit cars or, worse, innocent people, is a stark reminder of how dangerous these celebrations can be.
Fireworks, while visually stunning, are another issue. They not only create noise pollution but also release harmful smoke and substances into the air, impacting our already fragile environment. It’s ironic that we begin a new year by harming the very world we live in. And then there’s the question of children—tiny babies, barely a few months old, being brought out in the biting cold just to witness these events. Is this really the way to celebrate?
It’s not just Pakistan; these grand New Year celebrations are a global phenomenon. But many countries are starting to find more innovative, eco-friendly ways to celebrate, such as drone shows, which are quieter and more sustainable. Why can’t we, too, shift toward celebrations that bring people together in meaningful ways without causing harm or inconvenience?
Let’s make New Year’s less about noise and chaos and more about joy, simplicity and togetherness. Spending time with loved ones, reflecting on the year gone by and looking ahead to the future could be far more fulfilling than sitting in traffic or dealing with the aftermath of fireworks and bullets. We have the opportunity to start a new year on the right note. Let’s make our celebrations better—for ourselves, our families and our environment.
ROYYAM SAQIB
Virginia, US
Elite in tax net
Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb while talking to the media said that the elite, estimated at around 190,000, currently evading taxes will be brought into the tax net. FBR (Federal Board of Revenue) has been proactively sending notices and while as yet there has been no visible evidence of a reduction in the number of evaders one would hope that this effort, unlike past such efforts, is successful and those evading taxes do not find another avenue of evasion or relocate to other countries.
The constitutional provision that disallows the federal government to impose a tax on the income of the rich landlords, stipulating it as a provincial subject, has not only supported the elite farmers but also provided the rich to invest in farm land with the objective of avoiding paying their due taxes.
The best course is to amend the constitution which would enable the Federal Board of Revenue to collect income tax from the rich farmers at the same rate as the salaried class; given that the 26th amendment was passed against all odds one would hope that the stakeholders make a concerted effort again to pass this as well.
Tax proposals should widen the net with the objective of reducing the current high dependence on indirect taxes, easy to collect but whose incidence on the poor is greater than on the rich which accounts for rising poverty levels in this country, to direct taxes have been waylaid by organised (elite) sectors.
There is therefore an emergent need to first formulate a tax structure that is fair, equitable and non-anomalous rather than focusing on raising revenue.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
