Pakistan is likely to negotiate its 15theconomic package with IMF, and unless those who hold reins of power are willing to force everybody earning above threshold to pay taxes, irrespective of whether they are salaried or traders etc, this country will slide into bottomless pit.
Hopefully Imran Khan’s symbolic steps of austerity would force others to follow suit and put a stop to extravagant lifestyle of paid civil and uniformed officers at taxpayer’s account. Critics must know that other than state guests or declared dependent family members of President of USA, all personal guests who have food in White House, a token amount is deducted from his salary. As long as those holding public offices are simultaneously involved in conflicts of interest, the state will lose and individuals benefit. Every paisa spent must be audited transparently. The only way to seek economic self sustainability is to promote growth, forcefully ensure taxes, and punish corrupt and those involved in pilfering. Welfare by state must be only for deprived, and this abuse of subsidized plot allotments must stop. Revenues should be raised by selling plots to general public on market rates, ensuring that green agriculture producing belts and forest etc are not touched.
The State must confine itself only to regulating affairs of state, ensuring supply of clean drinking water and unadulterated food items, providing health and education etc, while ensuring that industries involved in export generation adhere to internationally accepted items. Import of expensive luxury limousines must cease. The practice of using private Executive Jets, other than when necessary, and needless foreign junkets must cease and so must this practice of declaring private houses spread over acres as camp offices in presence of state guest houses.
MALIK TARIQ ALI,
Lahore, August 8.