An Economic Manifesto for PTI

An Economic Manifesto for PTI

                                              Dated: 28 Dec 2011

By: Tarique Khan Javed

President, Overseas Pakistani Investors Forum

My seven hours wait for Economic Manifesto of PTI on 25^th Dec 2011 ended in disappointment, as once again, party avoided spelling out its Manifesto.

The meeting was supposed to start at 1pm so I reached there at 1.30pm but the Top Elite Leadership did not arrive till about 5pm. The meeting went on till 8pm but no Manifesto!

The strong hold of Rich and famous:

The long struggling and suffering Leaders like Firdous Naqvi, Dr. Alvi and Naeem Ul Haq did a great job of organizing a historic get-together and waited and waited for the Elite Leadership to arrive. They kept the huge crowd amused with prompt music and speeches and the crowd behaved in the hope of getting a road map for fixing all ills of Pakistan. When the Elite Leadership finally arrived comprising of top Feudal Lords like Khurshid Kasuri, Mahmmod Shah Qureshi, Zubair Khan and THE KHAN Sahib himself there was a great rush for occupying the best seats. A struggle for seat began between Yusuf Gabol, Khurshid Kasuri and  Jahangir Tareen. The three despite their sizes were trying hard to fit in two available seats. None having the grace of giving up the seat for other. The class difference was very obvious on the stage.

A BAGHI ready to spoil the fun:

Then arrived the BAGHI, respectable Javed Hashmi and stole the show. The aura of this great struggler for democracy over shadowed all including Imran Khan. In his speech he warned Imran that he will not allow Imran to Rule on the basis of tall promises only to continue the status quo, once in power. Like the Military Dictators and Nawaz Family he will raise his flag of rebellion against him as well. Crowd  liked his speech so much that the ground reverberated with slogan of BAGHI, BAGHI. Yes we are BAGHI against Military Rule, Dynastic politics, Class difference and exploitation of masses by the ELITE class. This was the high point of the meeting.

Mahmood Shah went out to explain the intricacies of Foreign policy and clearly opposed the efforts of friendship with India. Imran Khan failed to come up with any specific Economic Policy for which I had waited 7 hours in front of the stage.

Talk of ending corruption in 90 days, creating UK or Sweden like welfare State, providing justice to all or computerizing Land records are very wage and non practical rhetoric, good for making fool of ill informed people. This has worked in the past but may not work in this “new information age”. Media will not allow Leaders like Imran to come to power without spelling out specific Reforms and road map.

Anti corruption drive by other Rulers:

People still remember the sacking of 303 top  officials  by Ayub Khan and his grate emphasis on curbing corruption and inefficiency. It terrified the Civil servants for some time and trains started to run on  time. Zia’s austerity drive compelled Ministers and high ranking Officials to use 800 cc cars and warning of dire consequences for the Corrupt including flogging in public., Musharraf’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) went home to home to find out how people acquired assets. He terrified the Loan defaulters by putting their name on Exit Control list. In the end all NABBED corrupt politicians became his CORE government. Q League was mainly NAB’s creation.  

Past Rulers used the fear of persecution in the name of accountability to extend their Rules. No Rulers including Moghals have ever favoured corruption but every one has failed to make much difference in curtailing it.

Imran’s tall claim of ending all corruption in 90 days is too idealistic, given the shallow Moral base of this Country. Where 90% people have not even read QURAN once, in their mother tongue. Thus have no clear moral code.

Loose talk will not translate to Votes:

1.           Talk of welfare State, when we can not find solution to 1.5 trillion budget deficit. He needs to first indentify atleast Rs 50 trillion of additional taxes before he spells out such large expenses. UK was able to create a Welfare state based on USD trillions of looted wealth from the World. From Indo Pak alone they took 8 trillion. We are victim of West’s exploitation whom Imran admires. They continue to exploit with the help of planted Elite of the Country, who manage to get control of KEY ministries and decision making no matter who is top. Ayub, Zia, Musharraf were quite clean Leaders, as they came from humble background but the ELITE managed to  engulf them and compromise them. They are trying to do the same  with Imran, even before coming to power.   

2.           For a longtime Imran Khan had identified independence of Judiciary as key to solving all problems of Pakistan. However even after their independence 19 lac cases still remain pending and even small cases easily drag for 4-5 years. Now he speaks against the judiciary himself.

3.           Ending Patwari system without ending the huge disparity in Land holding is again based on wishful thinking. Like Iran if Land is evenly distributed the evenness of Economic power will automatically end the power of Patwari and SHO. But PTI does not want any Land Reform.

Now Imran has delegated formation of Manifesto to Mr. Jahangir Tareen, one of the richest person of Pakistan. He expects him to present a people friendly polices which will elevate poverty of the people. One can ask if Mr. Tareen and future seminars are going to give the Manifesto, in stages, what was Imran doing for 15 years in politics. Why he does not have vision himself?

Will Imran end like Asghar Khan?

I waited seven hours, as a Manifesto was promised on 25^th Dec, in the Ghotki meeting. The fact that they failed to come up with any indicate the great struggle which must have started within the party after joining of people like Hazar Khan Bajrani. How can Imran Khan talk of Land Reform or imposing Tax on Land Lords in the presence of people like him? Or how can he talk about imposing tax on Rich and sparing the poor when he uses private plane of Mr.Tareen for travel? He has been confused and his 15 years struggle and sacrifice will come to nothing as happened with Asghar Khan, who also addressed huge meetings all over Pakistan but ended up in complete failure.

Disgust for others prompted huge turnout:

Huge crowd came to Karachi meeting as the people of Karachi are fed up with the turf war of MQM and ANP and general failure of PPP and PML-N. They are looking for a viable alternative not necessarily PTI. Any party which can come up with a good Manifesto lead by honest Leaders can get instant popularity as Media has made them sufficiently aware of the key Economic and Social issues. Attempt to evade the issues will only lead to eliminations of such parties in coming two elections.

Seminars and so called Workshops led by Mr.Tareen will take ages to come up with any Manifesto, because middle class and old Party worker from working class background like Dr. Alvi, Naeem Ul Haq and Firdous Naqvi will push for major Reforms while the Elite, Jet set Top Leaders like Tareen, Hazar Khan and Kasuri will resist. In the end they will come up with nothing even after one year as they have failed in last six months.

OPIF recommended Reforms:

Overseas Pakistani Investors Forum (OPIF) has been recommending a set of Economic policies since 1988 which will eliminate injustices in Pakistan and create a peaceful society. This will enable 8 million Overseas Pakistanis to return back with their experience, connection and estimated USD 1,000 billion savings.

Imran has pinned all his hope for Economic growth on Overseas Pakistanis. However he is so naive that he thinks that without tackling thorny issues like Land Reform, Lease of Katchi Abadies and Goths in cities, controlling inflation, progressive taxes; Country will become peaceful!

No sir it will not!

You can not please everyone you will have to take sides whether you like it or not!

Ever since establishment of Karachi Office in 2009, OPIF has been propagating the following Manifesto through Press Conference, JOSH the URDU Daily newspaper, Newspaper reports and Articles and Talk shows. We have a substantial presence on You Tube, Face book. Twitter and Web in general.   

1.           Land Reform, lack of which is responsible for 60 pc poverty in the Rural Area. Land Reforms are on hold since 1977 when it was declared un-Islamic and Bhutto’s last Land Reform Bill of 1977 which would have brought down land Ceiling to 100 acres from 150 acres as was implemented in 1972 was put on hold. PPP is salient on the subject and does not implement an approved law. PML thinks there is no need of any Reform, PTI is also silent on the issue while ANP calls for ceiling of 50 acres per family and MQM calls for 37 acres ceiling per family.

OPIF recommends maximum ceiling of 20 acres and distribution of 2 acres to land less peasant family of five.

2. Leasing of KATCHI ABADIS which is responsible for remaining 40 pc poverty in the Country. PPP came to power on the promise of granting Lease but has kept the matter pending upto now. As the election nears one of its Leaders have promised to grant lease before 27th Feb 2012. ANP is in favor of granting lease.

OPIF recommends immediate leasing of all KATCHI ABADIS and GOTHS in URBAN areas and payment of Rs 2000 per square yard for the development work done by the residents of such Areas.

3. Printing of massive amount of Notes causing inflation in the Country which keeps pushing common people down and hurting the  economy generally.

OPIF recommends making SBP so independent that it can refuse Governments request to print unnecessary Notes. They should be able to refuse request of Central and Provincial Governments for OD and Loans. They should demand immediate repayment of Rs 1200 billion loan already taken.

4. Regressive Tax system. Which refuses to tax the Rich and only target the salaried Class and the poor for raising tax? Any talk of progressive tax like Wealth Tax to Inheritance Tax is closed by calling it Un Islamic.

OPIF recommends adoption of Tax system of any of the following Countries: Canada, UK, France, Germany and Holland.

5. Deregulation of Oil, Power and other sectors and closing of institutions like Trading Corporation of Pakistan or Food Department responsible for recent Sugar and Atta crisis, are opposed on the Ground that certain Ministers will loose their income source.


OPIF recommends a Small government and closure of 50pc of ministries and Departments to cut cost and remove hurdles in the working of the market system and reduce corruption stemming out of these so called Regulatory Authorities which in fact work as collection point of bribes.

6. Establishment of Chine style Free Trade Zones, in poor Regions to help create jobs  is opposed on the Ground that currently some 84 agencies of the Government who extort income from Trade and Industry are likely to loose their income.

OPIF recommends establishment of 6 FTZs immediately to attract massive investments and creation of jobs. Two in Sindh could be first in Coal rich Tharparker and second between Ghoro and Kati Bander.

7. Whole hearted implementation of SAFTA and SAARC charter and very liberal visa regime within the SAARC. This is opposed by bigoted anti Indian elements promoted by quarters like ARM lobby, benefitting from the current tension.

OPIF recommends fast track move on SAFTA implementation. Opening of 6 additional border posts. Granting of 5 years multiple entry Visas to deserving Indians and other SAARC country National. This will definitely be reciprocated.

8. Create Smaller Provinces to improve governance. Various excuses of ethnicity and   Language are forwarded to stop the moves. OPIF recommends 3 new provinces in Baluchistan, two new in Punjab, one new province in KP and Sindh.

OPIF also recommends relocation of all new Capital in Center of each Province while the Country's Capital should be moved to a central point like Dera Ghazi Khan.

9. Suggestion to create alternative Courts like Nigeria to get rid of 19 lac cases and improve property rights is ignored.

OPIF recommend 3 shifts working of existing Courts and creation of Nigerian style Courts to take care of smaller cases. OPIF also wants the existing Banking Courts to take up financial dispute cases not involving Banks.

10. Teaching of Quran in Urdu and staring working day after Far prayer. Even religious Parties are not ready to adopt these measures as they contend that all Pakistanis should instead learn Arabic as reading Quran in Arabic is superior. Regarding starting work after Fajr they think their support bank among traders will not like it.

 OPIF recommends immediate implementation of these measures to improve understanding the message of Islam and improving Moral base. Adoption of early working hour is not only mandated by ALLAH but can save lot of energy and improve health of the Nation.

11. Adopt Human Right policies as per UN Charter and repeal all laws which discriminates on the basis of Religion, Gender, Race or Caste. This is taboo subject for existing parties, for they think that it will harm their election possibilities. They refuse to listen to the simple logic that while it may not be liked by some it will be liked by others. OPIF recommends full implementation of Human Right Charter of UN, which we have signed, to remove existing torture of weaker sections of the Society.

Conclusion:

OPIF members at their cost has been advocating above set of reforms as part of their duty to the Country. Which has given them so much. In return we do not want any Party position or Ministries. Al Ham du lillah we have enough. Most of us started poor but within a generation become well off. We wish to continue in our jobs, paying 10, 20 times the salaries earned by our compatriots in Pakistan and when we return we strive to give jobs to other and not compete for Jobs. Especially we do not like very low paying Government jobs, including that of Ministers and Prime Minister. We have earned our wealth honestly and do not want to strain it by implication of making money through bribe in Government jobs towards end of our lives.