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Amnesty schemes for criminals
The federal government has decided to offer a seventh amnesty scheme to holders of multiple passports.
Crime, tax evasion, smuggling, land grabbing etc flourish when such amnesty schemes are offered to criminals instead of punishing them.
National economy and state security suffers. Law enforcement with punishment alone can curtail crimes in a country. Our state economy and national interest stands compromised by these successive amnesty schemes launched since 1958.
Pakistan offered its first tax amnesty scheme in 1958, followed by another in 1997, 2000 and since then it is a regular feature. Black economy and tax evasion have haunted the economy for over six decades, while tax collection has remained low.
Former Chairman NAB Shahid Aziz was unceremoniously removed in 2007 when he resisted orders to stop proceedings against corrupt individuals including politicians and land mafia dons like Malik Riaz.
These amnesty schemes have facilitated the formation of King’s party and are a tool in the hands of political engineers.
A country created through a political process whose Father of the Nation stressed upon rule of law and superiority of constitution has suffered humiliation of surrender and disintegration, faces scourge of extremism and terrorism, ever-since it has deviated from his vision.
The first tax amnesty scheme for smuggled cars was offered in March 2013 and thereafter every government has followed suit after periodic intervals.
Each declared that this will be the last one and those not benefitting will face criminal prosecution which has been done only selectively.
On the other hand, senior citizens, over 70 years, who have paid taxes all their life, get no such tax reliefs.
Terrorism thrives because weapons and other paraphernalia manages to leak through with the help of smugglers who manipulate their way through airports, border check-posts and sea-shores, despite multiple agencies deputed to stop this.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Bhattai’s Genuis — 2021
WE recently observed the urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhattai, a sufi scholar, mystic, saint and poet.
He is widely considered as one of the greatest poets of Sindh. His collected poems in Sindhi were collated in the compilation Shah Jo Risalo which exists in numerous versions and has been translated into English, Urdu and other languages.
His work has frequently been compared to that of Rumi. A professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University described Bhattai as a “direct emanation of Rumi’s spirituality in South Asia”.
He settled in the town of Bhit Shah in Matiari, Sindh, where his shrine is located, The major themes of his poetry include the oneness of God, religious tolerance and humanistic values. Bhattai was born in 1689 in Hala Haveli’s village Sui Qandar located near Hyderabad.
He received little formal education and was mostly self-educated. Bhattai was well-versed in several languages, including Arabic and Persian. His poetry contains accounts of his adventures and travels.
Despite his wealthy origins, even as a young man he was known for his piety, ascetic habits and praised simplicity and hospitality. People from far and near respected and loved this man as a saint, a Sufi and a spiritual guide.
Not much is written about the early life of this noble son of Sindh. Most of the information that has come down to us has been collected from oral traditions.
SIKANDAR SAJJAD
Karachi
A centurion
of satire
Illuminating and enlightening hearts and souls decade after decade is Akbar Allahabadi, a poet of promise, peace and progress.
Syed Akbar Hussain, called Akbar Allahabadi (16 November 1846 – 9 September 1921), was an Urdu poet of satire par excellence.
He gave humorous touch even to serious themes of love and politics, breaking from the metaphor of lover and wine to giving Urdu poetry a style not heard before.
See the mastery and tapestry in the satirical poetry of Akbar Allahabadi! “Hum aah bhî karte haiñ to ho jaate haiñ badnâm, vo qatl bhî karte haiñ to charchâ nahîñ hotâ” (Even if I make a tiny sound, I am maligned, but she gets away killing).
Hilarious he says:”Be parda kal jo aaen nazar chand beebian, Akbar zameen mein ghairat-e-qaumi se gar gaya, Poocha jo unse, aapka parda woh kya hua, Kahne lagen ke, aql par mardon ki par gaya”.
He mocked that veil of women was lost as it was worn by the brains of men!
“Zindagi aur qayamat mein relation samjho is ko college or usse convocation samjho” He says: life is university, where you learn lessons and give exams.
But your performance is unknown until the day of ‘Qayamat’. “Coat patlun pahna to mister ban gaya, Taqrir ki jalse mein to leader ban gaya”.
He laughs away saying that just by wearing a shirt and pant, one can become mister and by addressing a crowd, one can become a leader.
Inherent and embedded in him is unseen and unheard faith as he calls and cries quietly and humbly for Allah’s mercy and blessings.
Commemorating 100 years of Akbar Allahabadi is ILM DOST, including instrumental Shabbir Ibn-e-Adil and dignified figures like Professor Dr. Raees Ahmed Samdani, Dr. Yasmin Sultana Farooqi, Mohammad Rashid Sheikh, Shakil Khan, Ata Mohammad Tabassum, Hina Ambreen, Akbar Ali, Mohammad Ahmed Shah, Prof Aijaz Farooqi and alike.
PARVEZ JAMIL
Karachi
