Plight of the rich

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Sir: With reference to the recent debate on taxation of agricultural income, I really do not understand why it should be taxed. Our agriculturists have enough problems already, and don’t need another. They spend sleepless nights wondering where to vacation next and which foreign universities to send their sons to. With people challenging their right to suppress women and order forced marriages of minor girls to doddering old men, agricultural income tax will further dampen the mood of this important class. I’m sure this demand from the International Monetary Fund is yet another in a series of Indo-US-Jewish conspiracies to destroy Pakistan. If we accept this ridiculous demand to tax agricultural income, someone may go a step further and suggest that income from smuggling should also be taxed! How will the country survive then?

Let the feudal lords enjoy themselves, I say. Leave their income be so that they may get elected to the assemblies where they can block all attempts to tax their legitimate and illegitimate wealth. Pakistan was created, it seems, for them to rule over the lesser tax-paying mortals who have no rights.

SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi