We do not deserve dedicated people

 Published in The News on November 2, 1995

Those who matter in this country cannot tolerate anyone else achieving popularity. We all know how Imran Khan has been made into a non-person, simply because they think he has the potential of becoming a popular public leader. Now, it's the turn of two dedicated individuals in Karachi, the two who have made CPLC an effective organisation, perhaps the only one untainted by corruption. 

These two men of God (Nazim Haji and Jameel Yousuf) have risked their own lives as well as those of their families to bring relief to suffering people. While others of their kind were merrily making their fortunes, these two were in danger of losing whatever they had.

However, I doubt if the decision to remove them will ever be reversed. Someone has decreed that they should go, someone whom they have perhaps offended, someone in Islamabad with friends who have nothing to do and need lucrative jobs. Their only fault is that, while they were serving the people, they did not lick the boots of their masters. 

We do not deserve to have these saints in our midst. This ungrateful nation would have hounded the Quaid-e-Azam out of office, if he had lived any longer. They should go and serve suffering humanity in some other country where their services will be recognized, where people do not pay lip service to Islam but practise it in the real sense

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Origins of Purdah

 Published in Asia week on April 3, 1998

"THE ASIAN LANGUAGE" (Feb 13) says that "purdah was introduced in northern India by Islamic invaders." It may actually have been the other way around. Long before Islam appeared the Hindus of northern India (descended from the conquering Aryans) were already secluding their women to defend them from other invaders.The Dravidians never adopted purdah, not because Islam did not penetrate into the region but because they were a conquered race, and the caste system of the Hindus compelled them to work in fields and to indulge in menial jobs. 

The veil, of course, was part of Arab culture before Islam. However, instead of confining women to their homes, Islam allowed men and women to work side by side, especially during the wars which took place at the time. In fact, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad was a businesswoman. Moreover, Islam prescribes no punishment for any woman who does not observe purdah. 

Islam is opposed to immodest dress and behavior, the kind that can result in women being exploited. Although thousands of Muslim girls work in offices and factories in Islamic countries, you never hear allegations or even rumors of the kind which are being made about President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. 

Shakir Lakhani,

Clifton, Karachi

K.E.S.C, live-wires

 I was delighted to read that the Managing Director of the K.E.S.C. rushed to supervise repairs to a damaged transformer in the Queens Road area recently. The fact that the transformer was located in a very posh area of the City is neither here or there. I am sure he would have done the same if the breakdown had occurred in a slum like the Lyari. It seems that the power company has at least got a chief who really cares about its customers.

I wish, however, that he would pay an early morning visit to the Industrial and Miscellaneous Zone recently shifted to the Civic Centre where those consumers who have problems like inflated bills have to go for redress of their grievances. He will find a long line of suffering souls with no one to attend to their problems till 9.30 am., for that is when the staff arrives, after which they huddle in a corner discussing such pressing problems like what went wrong with the Challenger, or whether the Soviets will ever leave Afghanistan. It is not until 10 a.m. that they suddenly realise they have a job to do, and that people have come to meet them.

The K.E.S.C. chief could also devote some time to find out why so many customers do not get their bills in certain areas to the meter readers, who have to visit the consumers' premises every month -- or do they? At least this is much better then sending the bills by post, for the post office (like the K.E.S.C.) is not a very efficient organisation.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Published 1999??

LPG on car fuel

Published in "Morning News" 1975

This refers to the article "New fuel, old cars" (30th April). Much has been said about the advantages of using LPG in automobiles. But is it as good as it sounds? At first sight, yes. But a closer look reveals that the only people who benefit are the importers of conversion kits. Consider the following facts:

The cheapest conversation kit in the market is priced at Rs 6,000, with a running life of 40,000 miles. For an average motorist, who drives 20 miles daily, the kit will require replacement after 6 years.

The interest on Rs 6,000 compounded annually at 9% over a period of 6 years amounts to approximately Rs 3,500. The total effective investment which the motorist makes over the period of  6 years is therefore Rs 9,500.

The petrol bill for the average car will amount to Rs 13,500 assuming that it gives 35 miles to the gallon. With LPG, the fuel cost will be Rs 3,500 over the same period of 6 years. The motorist therefore saves Rs 8,000 in 6 years, after switching over to LPG. But he initially has to invest Rs 9,500. He therefore loses Rs 1,500 (equivalent to Rs 250 per year).

Shakir Lakhani

A-Won Estates Lilly Rd.,

Frere Town, 

Karachi

The Fate of a Girl

Published in "Morning News" 1962??

The fate of Rosy, as described by Saira Begum in her letter under the caption 'The fate of a Girl.' is an everyday occurrence in Pakistan, many talented girls are married off at early ages by their parents and in my opinion these parents are a menace to our country, which is in dire need of doctors, teachers, nurses etc. 

It is very strange that in this enlightened age of ours there are people who are very much against their sons and daughters receiving good education,  for reasons known only to themselves. They are under the mistaken impression that higher education is very harmful, and against religion. 

In the Bantwa Memon community the bridegroom's parents receive a large amount of cash from the bride's parents, which usually runs into tens of thousands of rupees. It is not surprising therefore, that the girls are married off whenever their parents can arrange a marriage in which the amount demanded by the bridegroom's parents is not large.The result is that the girls do not get any education at all.

The only possible remedy for this is that education should be compulsory for all, and when the girls realize that they can earn their own living, their parents will be reluctant to marry them off at an early age, and perhaps the groom's parents will be equally reluctant to demand such huge amounts of money. 

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Sand and water

Published in the Friday Times on September 1
4, 2007

 Sir, 

The golden beach of Hawkesbay is a favourite picnic spot for those who have no alternative but to live in Karachi. I have been visiting the place since I was te years old, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than watching the turtles lay their eggs and crawl towards the sea, or basking in the deliciously cool sea breeze. 

For many years now, a toll tax  has been collected from vehicles on their way to Sandspit or Hawkesbay. I remember a time when these receipts clearly stated the amount, as well as the name of the authority on whose behalf the tax was being charged (the Manora Cantonment Board). Yesterday, however I looked at the words "Sandspeed/Hawkbay/Manora Entertainment fee" printed on my little sheet of paper. The amount (Rs. 20) was nowhere to be found. Not wanting to create a ruckus, I paid without protest and proceeded further. Turning right towards Hawkesbay, I found no evidence of the promised "entertainment," unless you call the sight of malnourished goats and children entertainment.

A few kilometres down the road, there was another tax collector, claiming to collect tax from those wishing to Cape Monze or "French Bich." It's obvious that these unscrupulous people are minting thousands every year without paying anything to the government or the cantonment board. The authorities should investigate this, and arrest those who are involved in the scam. 

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Solar energy

 Published in The News on November 11, 2006

In my youth, I used to travel a lot by rail from Karachi to Peshawar. After the construction of Mangla dam, I noticed that there was less water in the Indus than in the fifties. After Tarbela was built, water in the river was further reduced. In fact, in Sindh they say that these two dams have turned the river into a storm water drain. 

The high percentage of sewage in the Indus is likely to kill all marine life, besides exposing those living on its banks to the danger of gastroenteritis. Building the Kalabagh Dam will be the final nail in the coffin. As for power production, it would be more profitable to invest in windmills or solar energy. 

Shakir Lakhani

Karach. 

America leads the way in global warming

Published in The News on April 28, 2006

In the seventies, with oil prices going through the roof, the Americans did a magnificent job of conserving fuel under President Jimmy Carter. Unfortunately, it's not happening now, when the need for conservation is much greater, not only for consumers to save money but also to save the earth from the menace of global warming. The US, being the greatest consumer of fossil fuels and the greatest polluter, will have to lead the way again, if mankind is to be saved. Americans should act now, before it is too late. After all, this is the only planet we have.

Shakir Lakhani,

Karachi

VAT Scheme

 Published in Dawn on September 25 - October 1, 2006

TAXPAYERS generally try to avoid paying taxes, as much as possible, on the assumption that much of the taxes paid by citizens are siphoned off by civil servants. 

Local traders never stop complaining that there is too much taxation and too much of corruption.

To increase tax revenues, the government should seriously consider imposing a five per cent VAT on all retail sales. This will require every retailer to get himself registered with sales tax department. To avoid protests, proper incentives be given. The trick is to reward shopkeepers as well as purchasers.

Under this proposal,  shopkeepers will keep a detailed record of the VAT paid to the government. In a month or so, the government will refund 10 per cent of the VAT amount. 

For the purchaser, the governments should adopt the kind of scheme recently introduced by the Indian state of Kerala and successfully implemented in Taiwan, Turkey and Venezuela. 

The retailer will issue a receipt displaying the amount of sales tax on a particular sale. The shopkeeper will also give the purchase a numbered coupon provided to him by the government (known as "VAT coupon").

These coupons will be of Rs.5 and higher denominations. Every time a person buys commodities worth Rs.1,00 the shopkeeper will give him Rs.5 coupon. For a sale of Rs.1,000 the purchaser will get a coupon of Rs.50. Every week, a draw will be held and the holders or the coupons bearing the winning numbers will be given prizes. If necessary, this scheme can be modified, but the principle may remain the same. 

The purchaser will tend to buy goods only where the coupons are given, which will increase the sales of the registered retailers. Everyone will contribute to the exchequer, except, of course, those who are very poor. Even those items which are smuggled into the country, will be taxed. There is a tremendous potential for increasing revenue receipts , if such a scheme is introduced.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi.

What future historian will say about the US-Iran war

Future historians

THERE is every chance of the Americans resuming the war on Iran, considering that both parties are not prepared to budge from their positions despite the fact that almost every country in the world is badly affected. It would be interesting to speculate what future historians will think about why this war happened, assuming that this war does not annihilate all humans and there is a future.

The first thing they will conclude is that it was apparently normal for Israel to have nuclear weapons, but the thought of Iran going nuclear gave some politicians sleepless nights, and that was why they repeatedly bombed Iran’s civilians.

The fact is that future historians would also think that this war was conducted to postpone a corruption case against the prime minister of one country, and to distract the growing attention of the people of another country from something called the seriously notorious Epstein files.

The cost incurred by the United States in the war would not escape their attention, as missiles costing up to $15 million each were used to cow down a much weaker adversary that posed no danger to it.

Historians would wonder why the people of that great democracy did not protest against the war. Perhaps it was because the majority in that country assumed that there were no Palestinian Christians, and only Muslims were being killed.

Finally, they would conclude that it was the Palestinians who were responsible for the war, because they had this inexplicable aversion to being killed by the Israelis.

Shakir Lakhani
Karachi 

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2026

https://www.dawn.com/news/2005588/future-historians