KARACHI:
Like their predecessors, the PDM coalition government also had a choice to levy direct taxes on all sources of income with no subsidies for the elite or to levy indirect taxes to bridge the gap between revenues and expenditures burdening the deprived and affluent uniformly. Unsurprisingly, they have followed the precedent set for decades by resorting to indirect taxes. Even though the International Monetary Fund and United Nations Development Programme pointed out gross injustices and disparities, the PDM remain committed to discriminatory practices.
A country that was once self-sufficient in agriculture and exporting surplus, is now facing acute food shortages. Our agricultural yield has declined drastically because the acreage available for agriculture has been shrinking persistently to benefit real estate and land developers.
One cannot help but wonder why this practice of irregularly occupying thousands of acres of state land, small farms and even forests continues unabated especially when climate change and food shortages are looming over. Unfortunately, the majority of the people have failed to realise the gravity of the issue and do not raise their voices against these actions. Those in power will continue exploiting the masses as long as people do not hold the government accountable and demand action. The country will remain involved in a political and economic quagmire while the masses continue to suffer.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2023.
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