On the eve of 14th August 2010 Pakistani nation is celebrating their 63th Independence with history's worst Floods in country which claimed thousands life and made more than 20 million people homeless. The UN has mentioned that "massive floods in Pakistan could exceed the combined total in three recent mega disasters - the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake"
Pakistan flood crisis bigger than tsunami, Haiti: UN .
Pakistani nation has shown the great courage for helping their brethren in 2005 earthquake , i still remember that in Ramadan of 2005 when we went to PAF museum at Karachi we had to wait in long Que of vehicles due to presence of thousand of people willing to contribute for the earthquake affected people . The donation appeal was made by
Fakhr-e-Alam , a singer , not a politician neither an influential person that time but hundred thousand of people gave their donations with open heart . I still remember his words
" i don't need the cheques of 10 million or 20 million as some people left these here for me , please provide me stuff ... buy me fuel of Helicopters .. iam not interested in money" .
What happened today ? Why Pakistani Nation is not coming out of homes for help , our media reports find out two factors for this cause , one that Inflation has made life so miserable that Pakistani are living their life hand to mouth .. people are calling on TV networks and said My electric bill was 600 rupees with the same usage today its 1700 rupees from where shall we pay for help . Second is a trust deficit , three days before in a talk show it was mentioned by
Salim Safi , that Prime Minister's flood relief account could merely gain 4.5 million rupees, chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's account could manage less then 10 million and Punjab's Chief minister could gain 45 million rupees in their flood relief account .
I came in Italy in 2005 for my PhD in Oriental studies and after completion this year iam still here seeking another Post doctoral opportunity , I often think what happened if it had had happened in Italy ? taking in mind that almost 7 out of 10 Italian i met are not satisfied with their governance , many of Senior PhD holders are still waiting for research related jobs .They think that they are sinking day by day . But i still consider that Italy has welfare system that we used to read in our primary schools books and Islamic teaching , though we never found them piratically in Pakistan .
First of all In Italy , what ever you do , any kind of work from working in a restaurant to any highest job you might imagine . you are considered an employee of government because you are paying every month tax to State and when you are in need ..State will be your friend indeed. The Italian state is not only giving free health and education to people living in Italy but also holds not only itself responsible for the welfare of people paying tax in Italy but also their family unites living out of Italy. On the end of every July Italian government reimburse the taxes of people including foreigners stating that their children are studying in Pakistan etc . Moreover in 2009 every person with an income till 15 thousand Euro / years was given a bonus of 300 euros per child to battle with world economic crises. I often ask myself how its possible and the Answer is clear ..by better TAX system.
Every Pakistan living abroad wheather in italy or elswhere pay more taxes here then paid by our politicians like Zardari who paid 40 thousand ruppes only and Nawaz shareef who did not paid anything last year as a tax. Both are considered billionair, the claim is right or wrong but general beileved by people .
In the time of need in Pakistan who shall contribute , every one ! but there are some people who shall pay the flood taxes. Those Sugar cartels who sold sugar to the nationals on price of more than 60 rupees per Kg. Those who have increased the price of LPG gas 25 rupees per kg in just 02 days . Those business men and Dukandars who shouted that due to closing our shops at 8pm instead of 10 pm our weekly loss is 03 billion rupees weekly at Tariq Road ..( brothers did you paid taxes ever mentioning this amount as your income ?) Not talking about infamous and generally believed corrupt people but talking about some very nice people in our Country like
Chaudhry Aitaza Ahsan who are famous to take millions rupees as lawyer and his wife is dealing in LPG gas and same about
Senator S M Zafar .
Government can take many steps as imposing 50 percent taxes on their income for some known very recognised richest personalities in Pakistan . Flood tax on buyers of luxury Cars , more taxes on owner of more than one house or having more than one car above 1300 CC. Fashion designers who were just claiming before some weeks that they were they only source of creating positive image of Pakistan by holding Pakistan fashion week shall be asked to pay more taxes for this Pakistan . Although one is agree or disagree
Nadeem F.Paracha came up with the opinion that
the class these fashion kings and queens belong to would probably be the first to exit a burning, turning Pakistan.
Talking about big brothers . Our armed forces who showed till now the men at their best , are seen making real efforts to save flood affected people are requested to do more, for instance they have the biggest budget then any one else in Pakistan so they should cut and spent this money of rehabilitation of Flood affected people, no matter we don't buy one F-16 this year ..instead this amount should be used for civilians . They should also ask their generals and officers who receive lands and plots in thousands rupees having actual market value of millions of rupees that this is the time of sacrifice , you have worked all life to save Pakistan and stood as ghazi , now its time to sacrifice sell your one plot and give this money for Flood affected people . Further more their officers are requested to pay next two years full fare instead of half to PIA when travelling and this half should go to the rehabilitation of these IDp's. So they should also start making habit of paying taxes .
The message should be Laud and clear .. Pay taxes , pay for the help of your country otherwise it shall be taken from you . I still believe if government give an exemption to those who earn below than 100 thousand per month , still they will find many people above than this figure should come forward willingly or by force to pay . Since 63 years Pakistan has been an heaven for money makers , over night riches , politician and Bureaucrats and Generals , smugglers , hoarders and different cartels, GAS quota beneficiaries and its time for them to pay with out any negotiations .
Concluding the message that i think i was little bit able to convey to my friends . let me tell why i tittled this " the great Betrayal ". An article was published by Ardeshir Cowasjee in 1997 when President was Farooq Laghari and Prime minister was Nawaz Sharif , i wish to end this writeup with the paragraph of this article , soon we will come to know that just we need to change the names of our leaders from past to present from this articles and how best fit it in today's life after 13 years. When i read that Government has postponed all engagements of 14th august for celebration of independence i felt the government not only have lost another chance to appeal the nation that at this occasion please come out of your homes and pay as much as for your bothers but they also save themselves to face Quiade azam Muhammad ali Jinnah because and the cause is given by cowasjee long ago " *
on this August 14 they would address the nation from the podium of his stolid mausoleum. However, heavily guarded as they are, the anarchy that prevails in the city has made them change their minds. They will now merely drop in, offer a hasty fateha and, hopefully, seek Jinnah's forgiveness, and then drop out. What the Founder of this country will tell them, from the depths of his tomb, they will not hear:
You, all of you who have ruled, led, and administered the state of Pakistan, have collectively and dissolutely broken faith with your people. You have betrayed both them and me.
You, the false leaders, the men of straw, have made it a practice to remember me, but you remember me as I was not, as I never was; you remember me solely as you find it convenient or politic to remember me. You deny that I was a man free of bigotry, liberal, tolerant, progressive, endowed with political dexterity and a good deal of common sense, not given to flights of fancy, that I was a normal human being with faults, foibles and failings, that I was a man with the strength to take upon himself a mission which fortune and fate permitted me to accomplish. You conveniently forget that having done so, when my time ran out I died with much apprehension about what I was leaving behind, I died with little or no trust in those in whose hands I was bequeathing my legacy (though I had but few regrets for what I had done). " ( * the Above whole paragraph is taken from the Column of
Ardeshir Cowasjee ,
The great betrayal published in Daily
Dawn on 10 August, 1997 Sunday 05 Rabi-us-Saani 1418 )
