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Budget debate in NA
After presentation of the budget, a debate is initiated by Leader of Opposition, to give concrete proposals. It was expected of him to stress upon widening the tax-net. The Opposition Leader spoke for almost 4 hours, but other than political point scoring, he failed to highlight problems faced by masses, nor suggested how the government must increase their revenues through direct taxation etc.
It seems all political parties are in unison on continuing to facilitate Retail/Wholesale traders in tax evasion, along with protecting the illegal tobacco manufacturing sector, big landlords, sugar and fertilizer cartels, nor the need to curb smuggling. No country in the world can survive and function without collecting enough revenues through direct taxation on all sources of income. There should be horizontal equality in levying on all sources of income.
No suggestions were made on how to bring professionals like doctors or lawyers who mint billions into tax net. They hardly pay any taxes. Perhaps there are too many lawyers elected in the NA, hence the conflict of interest. The net result is, that burden has fallen on already registered salaried classes and more indirect taxation, which burdens poor, more than the affluent elite. Everyone in Pakistan is aware of the vested interests of various political parties and members of powerful paid elite, in protecting their favourite known tax evaders.
Despite the fact that even our major foreign partner and friend China has expressed serious reservation about security threats and dangers that Chinese are subjected to, there is as yet no total clampdown along the Afghan border, from where smuggling takes place and terrorists infiltrate along with their weapons etc. It is time for the people to stand up and be heard.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Indian ironies
* Politicians divide us, terrorists unite us.
* Everyone is in a hurry, but no one reaches in time.
* Priyanka Chopra earned more money playing the role of Mary Kom, than Mary Kom earned in her entire career.
* Most people who fight over the Gita and the Qur’an have probably never read any of them.
* We spend more money on our daughters’ weddings than on their education.
* The shoes that we wear are sold in air-conditioned showrooms but the vegetables that we eat are sold on the footpaths.
* We live in a country where seeing a policeman makes us feel nervous rather than making us feel safe.
* In an IAS exam, the candidate writes a brilliant 1,500 words essay about how dowry is considered a social evil and cracks the exam by impressing everyone. But a year later, his parents demand a dowry from the girl’s parents in crores because he is an IAS officer.
* Indians are so obsessed with screen guards on their smart-phones even though most of them come with scratch proof gorilla glasses but they never bother wearing a helmet while riding bikes.
* One of the best ever lines: Try to understand people before trusting them because we are living in a world where artificial lemon flavour is used for a welcome drink and real lemon is used for washing hands in finger bowls.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Addressing animal cruelty
Recent incidents have starkly illustrated the severe cruelty inflicted on voiceless animals in our country. In Sindh’s Sanghar district, a camel’s leg was brutally chopped off after it wandered into a landlord’s fields. Near Rawalpindi, the ears of a donkey were mercilessly sliced off due to a land dispute between two individuals. These acts of brutality underscore the urgent need for better protection of animals.
The first step toward creating a safer environment for animals is to ensure that those who harm them are held accountable. Although a colonial-era law exists to prevent cruelty to animals, it is outdated and insufficient. This law needs to be revised with stricter penalties to ensure that perpetrators face significant consequences.
Currently, offenders can escape with minimal fines which do little to deter future abuse. Strengthening these laws would send a clear message that animal cruelty is unacceptable and will be met with serious repercussions.
GULAB UMID
Turbat
Box letter
Unemployment crisis
The curse of unemployment is endemic in our country. Everyone is searching and longing for livelihoods, applying for jobs in both government and private sectors with hopelessness in their hearts and minds. In government departments, lack of merit, nepotism and bribery are common sights in our country. This unfair support has created a weak and enduring cycle of unemployment. In the private sector, lack of vacancies, low salaries and lack of job security contribute to unemployment. The persistent and increasing unemployment has created a generational gap. People in the country are losing eligibility for government jobs due to unfair job distributions and bribery and are also losing skills due to lack of opportunities in industrial sectors. Moreover, unemployment and lack of opportunities in the country lead to brain drain; people are seeking greener pastures abroad and the youth are no exception. Both the government and private sectors need to hire employees based purely on merit, increase salaries, provide skill development and enhance job security to ensure the well-being and happiness of workers. Additionally, the government needs to prioritize hiring local workers and employees for all major projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to eradicate the menace of unemployment once and for all.
M ALI JAMALI
Nawabshah
