Another lynching
THERE is no question about it: we are living in a hell of our own making. The kind of mediaevalism that was witnessed in Nankana Sahib on Saturday, when a mob of hundreds of enraged men, lynched a blasphemy suspect and attempted to set his body on fire, is not new. Neither is the fact that the suspect was snatched from police custody. Almost exactly a year ago, on Feb 12, 2022, a mentally unstable man was stoned to death in Khanewal district for the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran, after a crowd wrested him away from the law enforcers. And that incident had come within weeks of the gruesome lynching in Sialkot of a Sri Lankan factory manager at the hands of a frenzied mob that had accused the foreigner of blasphemy. There seems to be no end in sight to this list of victims, both Muslim and non-Muslim, killed on the mere suspicion of committing blasphemy. Sadly, the fanatical mindset responsible for the deed is not the preserve of the unlettered; it is seen everywhere, including in our halls of learning as the case Mashal Khan, who was killed by fellow students on campus in April 2017, proves.
The latest incident has elicited condemnation from politicians and representatives of the clergy, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asking why the police were unable to prevent the incident. Two police officials have been suspended and a probe has been ordered. But what good is that? Are such actions going to forestall similarly grisly occurrences in the future? Unfortunately, as we have said previously, there are no quick fixes. Over the decades, it is the state that allowed extremism to grow at home, often weaponising religion for its own ends. The remedy too lies primarily with the state — but it is not an easy one. Deep-rooted reform is needed that goes well beyond simply reassessing the blasphemy laws; it starts with revamping education in schools to promote inclusive thinking and with cracking down on groups and individuals that spew hate against those who hold different beliefs. In this endeavour, perhaps the government can enlist the help of organisations such as the HRCP — which has lately published an informative document on the status of religious minorities. Even in these times of economic distress, the government must not relegate the issue to the back-burner.
Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2023
Poor tax collection
AT a time when the government is struggling to seek a bailout from the IMF, the 0.4 percentage point drop in the tax-to-GDP ratio in the first half of the current fiscal to 4.4pc from 4.8pc last year should worry the government. The decline, which represents a multi-year trend, reinforces concerns that the FBR will not be able to attain even the extremely low targeted tax-to-GDP ratio of nearly 9pc for the ongoing fiscal. No wonder the IMF is insisting on new, permanent tax measures to fill the resource gap — one of the reasons said to be behind the delay in the conclusion of an agreement with the Fund.
The reduction in the tax-to-GDP ratio is not surprising considering the poor performance of the tax collectors, particularly in the last five years. Falling tax collection is at the core of Pakistan’s financial and external woes as it is forcing successive governments to run huge budget deficits and accumulate massive public debt, domestic and foreign, to fill the widening gap. It is also resulting in a rapid decrease in development spending, a growing debt-servicing burden, and an increase in indirect taxes and levies on both documented businesses and consumers.
There are multiple reasons behind Pakistan’s low tax-to-GDP ratio, regarded as one of the lowest internationally, and they include a flawed, corrupt and inefficient tax structure. Sadly, the government’s lack of political will and inability to make it difficult — let alone impossible — for tax evaders to spend their illegal money has cost the country dearly. Instead of enforcing measures to stop the circulation of illegal money in the economy, government policies encourage tax evasion. These policies have, for example, turned the real estate sector into a parking lot for dirty money. There is also no limit to the number of bank accounts an undocumented person can open, while a taxpayer is required to produce a raft of documents as proof of legitimacy of their income sources. In spite of the FBR’s claims that it had collected data on over 3m persons who live in luxury, frequently travel abroad and drive expensive cars, the revenue collector has failed to widen the tax net. Successive administrations have focused attention on increasing the number of tax filers but conveniently ignored the fact that few new filers are eligible to be taxed. A large number file their returns to only take advantage of the difference in the withholding tax rates for filers and non-filers. The tax-to-GDP ratio is unlikely to increase unless the government implements measures to ensure that those spending illegal money pay the highest tax rates on the purchase of real estate, cars, foreign travel, etc. Without this, it will not be able to expand the tax net or raise the tax-to-GDP ratio to internationally acceptable levels.
Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2023
Rangers’ violence
A video of a motorcyclist being beaten on a busy road in broad daylight by Rangers personnel has gone viral on social media, invoking condemnation and anger. The footage shows a Rangers van speeding down a busy road, and knocking over a motorcyclist before several uniformed men kick him and beat him with sticks.
It is unclear why the personnel are beating the motorcyclist, but many have stated that this brutality is in keeping with our law enforcers’ typically arrogant public behaviour. Others, however, have suggested that the man may have been a suspected robber and that the Rangers apprehended him on the street as he tried to escape. Even if the latter is true, public beating — often by those who are supposed to uphold the law — is uncalled for and counterproductive. It shows how high-handed officials can be; not only do they have little concern for the onlookers, they also forget that no justice system sanctions this sort of violent behaviour.
Many on social media drew parallels between this latest episode and the controversial case from a decade ago when a man was shot and killed by Rangers in a public park. That case sparked outrage, but eventually those convicted were pardoned by the president after reports that the family of the victim had reached an out-of-court compromise.
These episodes show once again that the country needs law-enforcement officials to behave with the dignity and professionalism their duty demands. Beating unarmed people in the streets, even if they are believed to be criminals, simply points to a broken justice system where rage and vengeance dictate actions.
There must be an official explanation of the events in the video, and the higher-ups must ensure that such public displays of violence are discouraged. They create an unnecessary spectacle for an already brutalised society, where frustrated citizens are only too ready to emulate violent behaviour and take the law into their own hands.
Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2023