Imagine a country where people are forced to give up gas (petrol) and had to opt for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to save money, because the price of petrol had become too expensive for the public. It costs about 30, 000 on average to have the car equipped with the kind of equipment that makes the vehicle run on CNG, and on patrol, if the car runs out of gas or petrol. Can you name the country? No? Well, believe it or not, it is Pakistan.
Since the price of petrol is controlled by the government in Pakistan, you would think that the government would work hard to help ease the pain that is being felt by ordinary public. Naively, you'd also think that the government would also make sure that CNG remains affordable so that public in Pakistan can continue with their lives, even if it is hard to survive in a country like Pakistan. But, guess what? The government has decided to levy 4% surcharge on CNG gas stations. Why? Because the government is running out of money and Islamabad is being forced to put more and more tax burden on the public, and the public is unable to do anything. In fact, given what the successive governments in Pakistan have been doing to the citizens of this country for decades, one wonders why hasn't the public revolted against the excesses of Islamabad? Given that the Pakistani public is both literally and figuratively squeezed from every side, miraculously, they still refuse to protest, or worse, fight for their rights.
In America, every year, the government works very hard to reduce the taxes, so that the public can enjoy the fruits of their labor. Tax increase, especially if it is across the board like the people in Pakistan experience, is nothing but political suicide. Politicians in American shudder with fear of being voted out, when they are asked about the need to increase taxes to bridge the financial gap, even marginally, and even on only those who make a lot more then the average public. This is something no sane politician advocates. But, in Pakistan, the governments have been playing havoc with public's money, but, astonishingly, they have been getting away with it. And, sadly, the current government will also get away with it. In fact, the current government has been pressuring the hard pressed public for more and more money, directly or indirectly, not because they want to, but because the country is teetering on the brinks of financial meltdown. Fortunately for the governments, the public in Pakistan has been brutally busy to make ends meet, and they don't have time to balance what they pay in direct and/or indirect taxes, and what the government does for the public, in return for taking so much from the people. The things are so tight in Pakistan that if one buys a phone card for 100 rupees to load in the his cellular phone, the actual money credited to his account is only 85 rupees , the rest goes in taxes and perhaps a tiny portion goes into service charges. This is exactly what we call in American highway robbery!
At this point, it is worth remembering that all the progress, (if you allow me to ignore the colossal problems about to swallow Pakistan to use the term progress very loosely) is not the result of anything that either the current or the previous governments did. On the contrary, the current growth of banking and cellular phone sector is the result of collaboration between global firms and local businessmen. At best, the government took in a fee and issues licenses, nothing more. Ideally, the government should reduce the taxes so that more and more global firms look toward Pakistan as a potential market, but given the hurdles that one faces in Pakistan, coupled with awful law & order situation across the country, it is very surprisingly that businesses are still willing to operate in Pakistan
Still, it is heartbreaking to note that those who can actually do leave Pakistan, not because they want to, but because the public is losing confidence in Pakistan's future. Everyone is saying that the economy is tanking, law & order is deteriorating, and the overall environment is full of fear, and anxiety. The overall tone of Pakistanis is not the tone of nations on the rise, but it is the exact opposite.
Countries and nations don't become prosperous, or powerful, if they are always hand to mouth, and especially if they have to rely or other nations or countries for economical assistance to survive. Pakistan too won't achieve any respect or recognition, both at home and abroad, if the country is unable to inspire its citizens to collectively, positively and forcefully respond to the multitude of economical, social, political and cultural challenges that have engulfed Pakistan today. More importantly, it is also wrong to expect one party, one person, one institution or one entity to pull Pakistan out of its current situation. Everyone has to do their part if people of Pakistan are interested in handing over a decent, respectable and reasonable Pakistan to their next generation, everyone.
Bilal Qureshi
Washington, DC
