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Pakistan

A history of servitude

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The fool is a strong word so I will not use it but I will term those expecting Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to bring about a democratic revolution “naïve”.

Faheem Ahmad Profile Faheem Ahmad

It is not just the PDM that is on the verge of breaking up. The dreams of social media warriors and democracy advocates are also lying in tatters. There is little introspection about PDM itself, a movement that came into being only to protect the self-interests of the parties that constituted it.

A fundamental reason for PDM’s failure is the fact that it did not concentrate on the problems faced by its voters. Member parties were chiefly concerned with smoothing out the path ahead for them to grab power. Civilian supremacy and respect for the vote may benefit opposition parties, but for the common man, monumental problems remain his issues of having food on the table, basic amenities and a roof over the head. Embattled in trying to survive from one day to the next, the public took not much interest in the movement.

The second reason for PDM faltering along the way is that the status quo and hybrid regime they bash regularly has, at one point or another, benefitted them too. Their interest in changing this system is negligible or even nonexistent. It is no secret that contrary to their narratives and slogans, their anger was primarily directed at not being given yet another chance to rule in servitude to the powers that be. Neither is it a secret that the real demand was to abandon PTI and adopt them instead.

All the behind-the-scenes efforts to strike the proverbial deal seem to have paid off for one particular opposition party, and that perhaps is the bone of contention upon which the PDM is choking. The alleged green signal to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has left Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) shocked and angry.

As for the government, its happiness over cracks inside the opposition alliance is baffling. PPP coming close to the establishment should ring alarm bells not just inside the PML-N but also in PTI. The former seems to think calling the PPP, the governments B-Team is an apt description. It is not. It is now a valid replacement. Or, that is what has been conveyed to the PPP, who may otherwise not have been pursuing such confident political moves.

The current political scenario and PPP’s attitude provide clues to the possibility that for the establishment, granting another five years to the incumbent might not be possible. A new recipe might be drafted with PPP, ANP and PML-Q as the main ingredients. With ANP’s reluctance to use the provincial card, PPP’s turnabout from resistance to reconciliation and PML-Q’s ever-present subservience, this goulash might not be difficult to concoct. A hung parliament that can be reined in whenever required may be in our future once again.

All of this is of course just speculation. PPP’s servitude can either mean it gets lucky or that it might be used and disposed of like Shehbaz Sharif was. Whoever may emerge victorious from this crisis, the advice I offer to social media warriors remains the same. Pursue the history of these political parties before pinning all your hopes on them.

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Business

Expert call for taxing tobacco to help channelize public health initiatives

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) had earlier pointed out deficiencies in tax collection framework as well as the need for increasing taxes on tobacco products particularly cigarettes.

Published by Hussnain Bhutta

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Islamabad:  The calls for raising taxes on tobacco are gaining momentum as Dr. Muhammad Zaman endorses the policy that imposing taxes on tobacco saves lives as was advocated by the SDPI.

Dr. Zaman, the founding chairman of the Department of Sociology at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and head of the Zaman Research Center underlined the need for imposing more taxes to save lives.

“Taxing tobacco saves lives by reducing consumption and channeling resources towards essential public health initiatives,” he said.

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) had earlier pointed out deficiencies in tax collection framework as well as the need for increasing taxes on tobacco products particularly cigarettes. The institute had published a detailed report based on government data that says that the country lost Rs 567 in revenue during the last seven years.

The report titled "Tobacco Taxation in Pakistan: Unraveling the revenue loss of Rs567b to the exchequer," has unearthed the staggering financial toll inflicted by the tobacco industry on the national exchequer.

Dr Zaman said that cigarette is a non-essential and perilous commodity. He said affordability of the cigarettes was the major contributor to high consumption and ultimately diseases and fatalists in the country.

He said increasing prices of cigarettes was internationally proven strategy to curtail the consumption.

Dr. Zaman endorsed the alignment of tobacco taxation with the guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasizing the imperative to develop a long-term taxation policy grounded in global best practices and Article 6 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

In order to substantiate his argument of making the cigarette unaffordable to curb consumption, Dr. Zaman referred to a recent research report by Capital Calling that said that increase in prices of cigarette has resulted in decrease in consumption

 The Islamabad-based think tank Capital Calling reported that “one in every ninety-four smokers was forced to quit smoking after a significant raise in taxes.”

“The interviews with the smokers and data collected from these cities show that they are now saving the money by quitting smoking to fulfil other needs like food, education and health of their children, and paying the utilities.

More than 31 million4 Pakistani adults (15+) or about 19.7 percent of the total adults use some of tobacco which is one of the highest in the world,” it further said.

Malik Imran, Country Head of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, highlighted the staggering economic toll of tobacco consumption, citing an annual loss of Rs 615 billion.

He referred to a World Bank report and said that there was ample room to increase tax on tobacco products.

“The government can generate additional Rs 17 billion Rs 65 billion from the industry by increasing the tax up to 26 percent,” he said.

 

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Regional

IHC postpones plea amid Zartaj Gul’s name from ECL

Zartaj Gul's lawyer Osama Tariq appeared before the court without signing the power of attorney.

Published by Qurrat Tul Ain

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Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has postponed the hearing on the petition to withdraw the name of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Zartaj Gul from the ECL without proceeding.

According to the details, justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the case. Zartaj Gul's lawyer Osama Tariq appeared before the court without signing the power of attorney.

However, the court adjourned the hearing of the case without proceeding while instructing the petitioner's lawyer to sign the affidavit and complete the file.

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NAB asks time from court to submit report in Toshakhana case 

On which court summoned the report and postponed the case till April 17. 

Published by Qurrat Tul Ain

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Islamabad: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked time from accountability court Islamabad to submit report in Toshakhana cars case.

According to the details, judge Nasir Javed Rana heard the case against president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples party’s (PPP) co-chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani and others. NAB prosecutor Azhar Maqbool Shah appeared in the court.

During the hearing, Azhar Maqbool stated that Nawaz Sharif had applied for a comprehensive investigation and he was investigated. 

He asked that now the investigation officer is not available then he will submit a report in the light of investigation whether the case can be prosecuted or not.

NAB prosecutor pleaded that give him some time till the next hearing so he will submit a report. 

On which court summoned the report and postponed the case till April 17. 

It should be noted that according to the reference filed by the NAB in which Yusuf Raza Gilani, Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif is accused of illegally allotting vehicles.

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