All my land for a shop in the city, says minister

“I will give away all my land to anyone for a shop in Karachi,” said minister from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sardar Ahmad Khan Patafi, stressing his claim that landowners do not generate the sort of revenue from their lands that a shopkeeper does in the city.

During a debate in the Sindh Assembly on Thursday on the recently presented budget, Patafi said that it was unjust for coalition partners to demand more taxes. A landowner is not necessarily a feudal lord, he may just be an agriculturalist owning a few acres, he explained.

Imposing taxes on industrialists is justified but not on agriculturists, he said, adding that his constituency had three gas fields in Mirpur Mathelo in District Ghotki and a few fertilizer companies as well, all of whom generated decent revenue but received no package in return. He appealed to the chief minister to announce a package for the people of the area.

Zakat and ushr

“The Zakat system has been extending financial assistance to deserving people through the local zakat and ushr committees and district zakat and ushr committees,” said Minister for Zakat and Ushr Sajid Jokhio, while replying to a question by Arif Mustafa Jatoi.

Those who are registered to receive zakat by their local zakat committees are given a ‘guzara’ allowance of Rs500 per month, Jokhio said, adding that the education stipend for deserving students based on their level of education ranged from Rs75 for primary to middle school and up to Rs874 for those enrolled in engineering, medical or computer science universities.

Jokhio also gave details of technical stipends for unemployed youth receiving technical education that stood at Rs2,500 per month. Students of religious education received Rs150 for Hifz-o-Nazra, Rs375 for Ahle Mauqoof and Rs750 for Daure Hadith.

A total of Rs10,000 was fixed for in-patients and Rs1,000 for out-patients, Jokhio said, while talking about health care assistance for poor patients. Women who are not married receive Rs10,000 as marriage assistance, he added.

The minister also informed the house that orphanages and similar institutions received assistance and inmates at social welfare institutions received Rs50 per month for education, Rs100 per month for clothing, Rs300 per month for food and Rs50 for accommodation.

Reactions on the budget

“This is a not a people-friendly budget but a people-enemy budget and those calling it people-friendly are fools,” remarked Nusrat Sehar Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League - Functional, triggering a heated debate.

She also accused the staff at the chief minister house in Khairpur for being involved in corruption and running a mafia of contractors by extracting huge commissions.

Abbasi also accused members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of playing a dual role and said that they did not practice politics of principles. She criticised the ‘blunder’ of ‘General Sales Tax on services’ in the NFC Award that was later removed through a presidential order and termed as a ‘typing error’.

Shazia Marri, Agha Siraj Durrani and other members of the PPP reacted in front of the speaker, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, and requested him to stop Abbasi from using non-parliamentary language but their objection was over ruled.

Abbasi questioned why backward areas of Sindh, such as Thatta and Badin, were not allocated money when large amount were given to the five main districts of Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Nawabshah and Khairpur.

Meanwhile, Imdad Patafi asked the PML-F to adopt a uniform policy. He said that they are enjoying two positions in the assembly, speaking both for the government and for the opposition.

Auqaf department

Sindh Minister for Auqaf Abdul Haseeb informed the assembly that his department has control over 10,800 acres, attached with various dargahs and shrines in Sindh.

He said that the land is agricultural but not cultivable. MPA Sardar Ahmad, on behalf of Haseeb, said that income earned from such land is spent on the poor. He said the land can be distributed among landless haris on lease but it depends on the government policy.

During the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, around 3,000 acres in Gambat were distributed among haris but if the government adopts a similar policy then it will have to provide funds for the maintenance of dargahs and shrines.

Money is collected from the land and audited locally and an annual statement is also prepared, he said. He agreed with Jam Tamachi Unnar that the lists of land leased out and the lessees are displayed at DCO Offices. However, he pointed out that it would be an exercise in futility if such land is leased out in the staff’s knowledge. It will be more difficult to maintain transparency if the staff is corrupt, he said.

Replying to another question of Arif Mustafa Jatoi, the Auqaf minister explained the procedure of auction and said that the lease of every agricultural waqf land is publicised by the Sindh information department.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2010.