05-29-2006, 12:19 AM
The NAB as I understand reading through a letter to the editor has announced the incentive of an award worth 20 per cent of total recovered money for those who provide correct information about corrupt practices.
Then though I was not young but at least I was a fool when Dr. Mehbubl Haq appealed the citizens to help government in tracing the tax evaders. This was merely an appeal having no incentive attached with it. Out of my sheer patriotism and feeling a civic duty to help shoulder with the Governmentâs noble national work I addressed two Lahori Babajees whose advertisements every week appeared providing sure short free treatment for diabetic, cancer, blood pressure etc. The prescriptions of these miracle healing were given to grand-grand fathers of these Babjees when 100 years back they served some ailing âBuzurgâ in the jungle. Now these Babajees were âFee Sabeelillahâ giving the miracle treatment to ailing humanity. I told these Babjees that I was sick, though I was not. Babajees informed me the prescription would cost me Rs. 12,000 which was cost of materials used by them in preparation of medicine while labour was free. That was a time when eve the Government and semi autonomous bodies did not have Faxes but both these Babajees had fax numbers on their letter heads. I informed all commissioners of income tax in Lahore if these Babjees were paying income tax in accordance with Rs. 12,000 per patient multiplied by a dozen patients a day as claimed by Babjees. At that time Taxable Limit started from Rs. 40,000. No income tax commissioner ever replied. I sent reminders about a year when first response came that one Babjee had shifted to Rawalpindi and the other had closed his business. The income tax department however did not tell me when they were doing business were they paying income tax in accordance with that ratio. For years never any further reply came. Then Nawaz Sharif under his famous Qarz Uttaro scheme raised a similar slogan when I addressed him this matter. At this stage an Income Tax Officer from Rawalpindi giving reference to my communication to the Prime Minister directed me to provide proofs that the above Babajees were not paying tax. I had thought when slogan for citizens to help the government was raised it was not meant that the citizens would also have to prove rather it was that the authorities would at their own probe such allegations. It was just a very simple task to check from the area income tax office if two Babjees had been paying, before closing and running away from Lahore to Rawalpindi, income tax @ Rs. 12,000 per patient multiplied by a dozen patients a day. Then raised a similar slogan by the Government sometime around 1998-2000 when still I was fool and not matured. This time I obtained a similar letter from another Babajee and instead sending to income tax addressed direct the Chairman Central Board of Revenue. In so many years never ever I got any response from CBR. But hold your breath. Within two weeks time I got a letter from concerned Babjee that we thought you were a gentleman but you proved yourselfâ¦.
Today I am matured. I have repented myself from my sin and promised God never ever to do the same even in the name of patriotism or in the name of civic duties even though it may have an attachment of a big reward. Now in my this matured age no NAB or no such a slogan can raise or boil my blood pressure or intimidate me because in this being an ordinary citizen I can not provide proof on such things when mighty like N.A.B etc despite spending huge and with having large resources can hardly prove such things except âmukmakooâ.
Then though I was not young but at least I was a fool when Dr. Mehbubl Haq appealed the citizens to help government in tracing the tax evaders. This was merely an appeal having no incentive attached with it. Out of my sheer patriotism and feeling a civic duty to help shoulder with the Governmentâs noble national work I addressed two Lahori Babajees whose advertisements every week appeared providing sure short free treatment for diabetic, cancer, blood pressure etc. The prescriptions of these miracle healing were given to grand-grand fathers of these Babjees when 100 years back they served some ailing âBuzurgâ in the jungle. Now these Babajees were âFee Sabeelillahâ giving the miracle treatment to ailing humanity. I told these Babjees that I was sick, though I was not. Babajees informed me the prescription would cost me Rs. 12,000 which was cost of materials used by them in preparation of medicine while labour was free. That was a time when eve the Government and semi autonomous bodies did not have Faxes but both these Babajees had fax numbers on their letter heads. I informed all commissioners of income tax in Lahore if these Babjees were paying income tax in accordance with Rs. 12,000 per patient multiplied by a dozen patients a day as claimed by Babjees. At that time Taxable Limit started from Rs. 40,000. No income tax commissioner ever replied. I sent reminders about a year when first response came that one Babjee had shifted to Rawalpindi and the other had closed his business. The income tax department however did not tell me when they were doing business were they paying income tax in accordance with that ratio. For years never any further reply came. Then Nawaz Sharif under his famous Qarz Uttaro scheme raised a similar slogan when I addressed him this matter. At this stage an Income Tax Officer from Rawalpindi giving reference to my communication to the Prime Minister directed me to provide proofs that the above Babajees were not paying tax. I had thought when slogan for citizens to help the government was raised it was not meant that the citizens would also have to prove rather it was that the authorities would at their own probe such allegations. It was just a very simple task to check from the area income tax office if two Babjees had been paying, before closing and running away from Lahore to Rawalpindi, income tax @ Rs. 12,000 per patient multiplied by a dozen patients a day. Then raised a similar slogan by the Government sometime around 1998-2000 when still I was fool and not matured. This time I obtained a similar letter from another Babajee and instead sending to income tax addressed direct the Chairman Central Board of Revenue. In so many years never ever I got any response from CBR. But hold your breath. Within two weeks time I got a letter from concerned Babjee that we thought you were a gentleman but you proved yourselfâ¦.
Today I am matured. I have repented myself from my sin and promised God never ever to do the same even in the name of patriotism or in the name of civic duties even though it may have an attachment of a big reward. Now in my this matured age no NAB or no such a slogan can raise or boil my blood pressure or intimidate me because in this being an ordinary citizen I can not provide proof on such things when mighty like N.A.B etc despite spending huge and with having large resources can hardly prove such things except âmukmakooâ.