From Nahrwali Haveli To Burj

Sir,

From Agra’s Nahrwali Haveli to Burj in Dubai, or Jatti Umra to Panama or Bambino to Manoir de la Reine Blanche (manor of White Queen), or rise from police underling to leading industrial family of Gujrat with numerous foreign assets,  it is an endless tale of unchecked plunder by civil and uniformed elite of this country, who have reduced Quaid’s Pakistan to a lawless country ravaged by poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and terrorism. Every citizen of Pakistan, both who lived here or migrated from India, have benefitted from vast opportunities offered, but unfortunate tragedy is that those benefitted most have not paid back their debts to Pakistan by paying taxes and keeping their assets here.

How many countries in world would allow former PM, super bureaucrats, generals, diplomats, intelligence masters etc to live abroad once they relinquish office and expect that national interests are not compromised? Beneficiaries of Off-shore companies whose money trail is not transparent and taxes are not paid for are illegal by any law. Gifts received by prominent public office holders from foreign governments, in-office or out of office, and not deposited in state treasury are classified as bribery and corruption, unless proved otherwise. The onus to justify sources of income for assets or bank accounts, both local and foreign, must lie on beneficiary and not state, otherwise corruption and money laundering can never be curtailed.

Citizens pay taxes all over world because of fear of severe punishments. Modern state with its infrastructure is incapable to function without all citizens paying taxes due from them. In Pakistan we have witnessed endless Tax Amnesty Schemes announced by every government in power starting from Zia to BB, to NS and Musharraf with only one result; a widening Tax to GDP ratio, with documented white economy dwarfing as compared to black economy and every successive government has facilitated this crime.

Pakistan sovereignty and independence was forfeited by Zia ul Haq, who mastered art of hypocrisy, exploiting religion leaving behind a legacy of drugs, terrorism, extremism, illiteracy and a path of self destruction.

Malik Tariq Ali

LAHORE