Date: Saturday, September 17th, 2016
Rebuilding goodwill with the US
On at least one front, Pakistan’s diplomatic ties with an important international ally are beginning to improve. In recent months, Pakistan has been embroiled in a tussle with India due to the increased use of violent force in Kashmir. India has retaliated by repeatedly raising the issue of separatist elements in Balochistan. The US, with which Pakistan had seen a cooling in diplomatic relations, has now clearly stated that it is does not support the separation of Balochistan, nor does it agree with the Indian government’s stance on this matter. This clarification was given by the US State Department representative in response to a question by an Indian journalist. It is now unlikely that India’s intention to raise this issue in the UN’s General Assembly will be met with the reaction it had hoped for. The ploy to conflate military violence against Kashmiri civilians with the Balochistan issue does not seem to be working.
The US has made further efforts to regain Pakistan’s trust in recent days as was evident from the statements of US Special Representative Richard Olson, who lauded Pakistan’s commitment to curbing terrorist activity in the region through both military operations and sharing of intelligence information with neighbouring countries. He went on to appreciate Pakistan’s role in providing asylum for Afghan refugees for the past several decades and urged the country to continue its efforts in this regard. While talking about the need for the Pakistani administration to take a unanimous stand against externally focused terrorist groups, Olson pointed out the Pakistani government’s commitment to rooting out terrorist safe havens. These statements by the US administration reflect a change in perception that has taken place in recent months which is far removed from the harsher views being aired previously. Clearly, the US acknowledges and understands the important role played by Pakistan in the South Asian region and the need for maintaining a relationship based on trust and goodwill with one of its key allies. It is hoped that the present US stance on key issues will also contribute to the normalisation of relations between Pakistan and its neighbouring countries.
Towards taming tax troubles
Pakistan has become a signatory to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. The development comes as the country seeks to enhance tax enforcement laws and increase revenue to address a chronic fiscal deficit. While the move is welcome, experts suggested that it will be a long-term process, where benefits would be reaped after sustained efforts and a commitment to implementing laws — an area where Pakistan remains weak. The convention, which foresees exchange of information among signatories, will also help Pakistan unearth individuals who have hidden their wealth in tax havens.
A tax expert suggested that the exchange of information would also depend on the countries’ own laws, which could limit the scope of the convention. In Pakistan, domestic banks have resisted the move to provide information to the Federal Board of Revenue given its reputation as well as a general reluctance that stems from protecting customers who have heavy deposits. Additionally, Pakistan’s income tax laws that have legal lacunas will act as barriers towards meaningful action. Generally, economic managers in Pakistan are well aware of the issues. Their failure to act against these elements does not come from lack of knowledge, but from an inability and unwillingness to go after the big guns. Governments have been guilty of handing out tax exemptions in hopes of securing vote banks. The country has relied on indirect taxation and penalised already taxed segments of the economy. The result has been even more devastating — it has caused an increasing informal economy. Failure to hold the population census has only made matters worse. In such a scenario, becoming signatory to the OECD convention conveys the government’s intention. But it is not enough to stop a phenomenon that it has caused in the first place due to decades of ignorance.
The delay in anti-honour bills
Women in Pakistan continue to be maimed and marooned at the hands of their male counterparts, particularly in Punjab. They are forced to watch their backs as even their closest relatives lack empathy for them, often a sign of criminal psychopathology. According to figures reported by Aurat Foundation, 44 per cent of killings in Punjab, in the name of honour were committed by husbands, fathers and brothers. Here, our legislators and law-enforcement agencies are not interested in viewing violence against women as a serious concern. Moreover, they are not even intent on reprimanding criminals who commit these violent acts. Presently, the Anti-Honour Killings Laws Bill 2015 and the Anti-Rape Laws Bill 2015 remain to be adopted. Despite the heavy volumes of such violence, the bills have remained only on paper since their first introduction in January 2014.
It is suspicious as to why the government remains unwilling to expedite the adoption of these two bills, which aim to devolve the authority that is granted to families, usually male relatives, in personally settling these criminal cases, and term the pretext of honour a punishable offence. Superficially, stakeholders blame an inability to build consensus over the bills but it appears that more so, they are unable to build conscience over the matter of honour killings. Just over Eid holidays, a man and a woman in Khanewal were hanged in the alleged name of honour, and in a second case from Multan, two men, one of whom was a woman’s alleged lover, were shot by relatives for the same reason, all pointing to the lack of regard for due process of law. Parliamentarians continue to bicker over personal issues and ignore imperative matters impacting the lives of women. The Panama leaks can be debated and protested, but the bickering needs to be taken outside. Inside, they must do their jobs, with some commitment to logic and sanity, which encompass serving all genders of this country and ensuring their safety and protection.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2016.