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Showing posts from August, 2015

CPEC and Balochistan

Courtesy:-  MALIK MUHAMMAD ASHRAF A boulevard of progress and development Needless to emphasise that CPEC presents a historic opportunity to change economic profile of Pakistan and the economic situations of its teeming millions, especially the people of Balochistan besides unleashing an era of shared economic prosperity in the region, with Pakistan playing the role of an economic hub. The success and implementation of this epoch making initiative by China and Pakistan depends largely on restoration of peace in Balochistan to facilitate the development of the necessary infrastructure. In fact it would not be an exaggeration to say that Balochistan is the pivot of the CPEC. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presiding over a high level meeting at Quetta convened to evaluate the security situation and progress on development projects, which was attended by the COAS, high ranking military and civil officers and the political leadership of the province, rightly said that Balochistan was the

Govt doing well in Balochistan

Courtesy:  S Rahman Implementation and good, pragmatic prioritisation are the salient features of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government as can be evidenced every now and then in the form of development projects and reconciliation initiatives undertaken by the government including the latest Balochistan development schemes and conciliatory moves. In fact, the Nawaz Sharif government is convinced from day one that stability in any part of the country is contingent on progress, prosperity and restraint. It also believes that the estranged Pakistani citizens, whether they are leaders or the led, need to be given due respect, honour and a sympathetic hearing, not only because that they enjoy equal rights like other citizens but also because ‘enough is enough’.

Withholding tax conundrum

Courtesy:-    Malik Muhammad Ashraf Governments all over the world impose taxes to raise revenues to be able to incur expenditures on development and strengthening the economy, through a sustainable process of growth, with the ultimate objective of promoting well being of the people. Generation of additional resources through taxes for the ever increasing needs to achieve these objectives, therefore, is an indispensible and the most desirable policy initiative and the only way to improve the tax to GDP ratio. In Pakistan, regrettably, the tax GDP ratio is dismally low. In comparison to 39% in UK, nearly 27% in USA, European countries and Japan and 17% in India it stands at slightly over 9%. Enhancing and diversifying of tax generating avenues, broadening the tax base and documentation of the economy are of pivotal importance in regards to lifting the tax GDP ratio and the generation of revenues from internal sources. There is a national consensus on broadening of the tax base by bri

A sadistic narrative

Courtesy:-   Aziz Ali Dad Reacting to news about the plan to convert Gilgit-Baltistan into a province of Pakistan, Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and President Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan of Azad Jammu and Kashmir recently declared Gilgit-Baltistan as part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.  Abdul Majeed said that the prime minister of Pakistan could not take such a decision unless the people of Jammu and Kashmir agree to it. The president of AJK went to the extent of terming such a step more damaging than the dismemberment of the country in 1971. This chest-thumping by the Kashmiri leadership is an attempt to browbeat the Pakistani state to maintain the status quo in Gilgit-Baltistan.