Hamid Khawaja

[Miftah Ismail @MiftahIsmail]

A factual story about sugar policy in Pakistan. I won’t tell you whether it was the correct policy or not. You be the judge.

1. Last year the government allowed exports of 750,000 tons of sugar.
2. The price of sugar jumped by Rs 50 per kg.
3. The government then asked TCP to import 300,000 tons of sugar. Private sector not allowed.
4. TCP bought sugar at a price up to $40 per ton above the prevailing market rate.
5. Sugar imported by TCP, given a waiver of sales tax and excise duty, was still higher than the market price in Pakistan.
6. A government team including officers from TCP, IB and FBR forcefully sold this sugar, at a price higher that prevailing market price, to various industries, chain stores and brokers. To ensure these large customers buy from the government, sugar mills were instructed to not sell to potential TCP customers.
7. TCP still couldn’t sell its total stock. So now it is trying to re-export this sugar back in the international market.
8. Summary: First export and create a shortage. Then import more than needed. Then export again.
9. Pakistani citizens pick up the bill.

[Miftah Ismail @MiftahIsmail]

In the year 2000, Pakistan’s per capita GDP, at purchasing power parity, was $2880, higher than India’s at $2010 and Bangladesh at $1620. We were 43% richer than an average Indian and 77% richer than an average Bangladeshi. Today we are at $6480, Bangladesh at $9180 and India at $12,560. So an Indian is 94% is richer than us and an average Bangladeshi is 42% richer than us. This is the most important story of our national governance system over the last 26 years.

In the last 4 years we have taken debt of Rs 40,000 billion. In the first 75 years we took debt of Rs 45,000 bn. Our tax revenues have doubled over the last four years and yet people today are poorer than in 2014/15 and 2018/19. 29% Pakistanis are poor (with monthly resources of less than Rs 8485). We eat less of all commodities, including atta and rice, meaning Pakistanis are going hungry. Of course we spend over Rs 400 crore to run the PM house and the President house.

Over this period we have seen Gen Musharraf, President Zardari, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan and Mian Shehbaz Sharif at the helm, along with a few caretakers. We have seen military, civilian and hybrid governments. What we have not seen is progress. None.

Education: 39% or over 2 crore 60 lakh kids are out of school. And a majority of kids in school cannot read, write or do arithmetic at their class level. Our education system is failing our kids and we are just spectators at this dismal state of affairs. Is there anyway a nation can develop without its kids being educated? Also Sindh govt just released billions in media ads.

Health: 7500 kids have been infected in Pakistan with HIV (that causes AIDS). Mostly due to used needles and unscreened blood. Pakistan has the second highest neonatal mortality rate in the world, worse than South Sudan, Eritrea and Chad. 40% of our children are stunted. 42% of our women have iron deficiency. 1 in 5 people in the world with Hepatitis is a Pakistani. Also Punjab govt recently bought a Rs 1100 crore plane and 4 Mercedes cars for over Rs 100 crore.

Our provinces are under civilian control since 2008. The NFC making them flush with cash came in 2009. The 18th amendment giving them new authorities came in 2010. But there isn’t a Provincial Finance Award in a single province. No political party (PTI, PPP or Noon) has established empowered local government. They won’t let go of power and cash.

Our system of governance has failed and failed completely. Awaam Pakistan party has been saying it from the day the party started.

Where do we go from here.
Empowered, federally financed and constitutionally protected LGs. Failing which smaller provinces. But now. We cannot afford to wait forever.

Direct elections to all executive offices in local governments and provinces. Essential for breaking the hold of fossilised political parties.

Reform of NFC. School vouchers for all poor kids. Forming of school boards with hiring and firing powers all in govt schools composing of parents and officials. Badly run govt hospitals to be transferred to trusts and govt to keep funding at current levels. Ending of lifetime employment for bureaucrats. You work, you stay. Or go home. No ghost workers or teachers.

Reduce the size of government. Move to economically efficient way of pricing power and gas so they become cheaper.

But parties that are part of the problem and beneficiaries of the system will not want to change. So they need to be removed from the govt. They weren’t fairly elected anyway.

National reconciliation.

Continuous and major reforms.

Otherwise our relative decline will continue. Hunger and illiteracy will become more widespread.

[Hamid Khawaja @Uknaas]

@ashoswai I have similar experiences and memories from my childhood in Lahore.

[Jehanzeb M. @JehanzebMasud]

#desi #wedding 🥳

[Jehanzeb M. @JehanzebMasud]

Note that our brethren routinely drive the wrong way against the traffic to avoid using a u-turn few meters away.
Moral: We would rather die than do the right thing...
#Pakistani #genepool

[Abdul Majeed Khan Marwat @koolkopper]

A beautiful display of horsemanship, where confidence, poise, and precision come together seamlessly. Simply wonderful.

[Jehanzeb M. @JehanzebMasud]

#PakVsInd #T20worldcup22

[Rao Saab @RaoSahi16350969]

@kaiserbengali @FaisalAMalik3 Govt can save Rs5 Tlns/yr, if Free Perks are revoked & add 1 Tlns out of saved amount to give House Rent&Car allowances @ 100% of Basic Pay

With 4 Tlns saved,budget reduce will be reduced

Go for CNIC Linked Tax Tracking (cash & online) & collect upto 22 Trlns instead of just 11

[Dr. Kaiser Bengali @kaiserbengali]

Pakistan has incurred new debt of Rs 9 trillion, taking the debt stock total to Rs 80 trillion. The economy is on a debt ventilator n sinking. There is no alternative to reducing non-development expenditure by half, including non-combat defence expenditure.

[Pravin Sawhney @PravinSawhney]

Indian military paid a huge price - by exposing limitations of the IAF to the adversaries - on senseless objective.
#OperationSindoor
Why senseless? Because the IAF had same objective in Operation Bandar (Balakot air strikes) in 2019!

[AMJAD KHAN @iAmjadKhann]

گوادر پورٹ میں پاکستان کا شیئر صرف 9 فیصد ہے جبکہ 91 فیصد شیئر چائنہ کا ہے ان معائدوں کو اگر خفیہ نہ رکھا جاتا اور پارلیمنٹ میں پیش کیا جاتا تو ہم جیسے لوگ بتا دیتے کہ یہ معائدہ پاکستان کے فائدے میں نہیں ہے ! ڈاکٹر قیصر بنگالی ۔۔۔

[Hamid Khawaja @Uknaas]

@najam_ali @asifbashirch Do you really think that anyone with no experience can become the foreign minister? Imagine him negotiating with the Indian FM. Or even explain our claim over Kashmir. Good Luck Pakistan.

[Ali khizar @AliKhizar]

Electricity sector Capacity payments are going to haunt more this year, as its share in the power purchasing prices increasing to 67%.

More the capacity payment, higher would be the consumer tariff - this is making the power pricing system unsustainable

#NEPRA_State_0f_Indutry_Report_2023

[Hamid Khawaja @Uknaas]

@savingsgovpk Tax is to be paid, unless there is an amendment in the tax law. The individual has to pay in the tax return.

[Hamid Khawaja @Uknaas]

@Raza2910 @savingsgovpk You have to pay 10% tax when you fill your return. National Saving will not deduct tax. Please consult your tax lawyer.

[Hamid Khawaja @Uknaas]

@kaiserbengali Very sorry to hear this. Tahir and I did the National Defence Course together. Good friend. Could you send me his family’s contact. May he rest in peace.

[Barrister Maleeka Bokhari @MalBokhari]

As a woman, politician & and lawyer, I can not ever condone public heckling of any woman irrespective of her political affiliations.

I know people are hurting with anger & and frustration, but we must collectively show restraint & respect. It is always the right thing to do.

I know the person under discussion has at multiple times demeaned other women through her social media accounts - that still doesn't suffice as a response to it.

Also, today, I want to call out and condemn the selective outrage and feminism that missed the abuse, torture, bullying , harassment, and intimidation of women leaders, activists & supporters of PTI.

Over the last 16 months, women who were politically affiliated with PTI were tortured by police, tear gased, dragged out of their rooms by violating their privacy of homes, dragged on the streets of Pakistan & imprisoned for months.

I witnessed deafening silence of feminists, human rights activists, and women politicians from other parties. In fact, there was also public & tacit approval that these women got what they deserved.

@KanwalMna
& bushra bibi were both the subject of a slander campaign a few days ago in which they were defamed and attacked by two women women journalists. There was no outrage.

My colleagues @KanwalMna @aliya_hamza @zartajgulwazir @ShireenMazari1 @Dr_YasminRashid have collectively suffered a lot and very few independent voices stood for us.

Sharing a video which shows a small part of what we suffered.

Praying for the release of all the women who are prisoners of conscience & incarcerated for over 90 days.

[CJ Werleman @cjwerleman]

Basically, the Pakistani Military ousted Imran Khan and turned the country into a garage sale. https://t.co/Ls5AV3iyWM

[Moeed Pirzada @MoeedNj]

Check the meanings of "Impunity" - Pakistan is built around the principle of impunity!

[Hamid Khawaja @Uknaas]

Is history repeating itself. Is there a new East India Company in the making?

[Dr. Kaiser Bengali @kaiserbengali]

Pakistan is "On Sale"
Telecom n banking are already 100% n 80% foreign owned. Gwadar port is foreign 'owned'. Karachi port is passing into foreign 'ownership'. Airports are up for sale, etc etc
Pakistan is changing into "Foriegn-Commercial Republic of Pakistan".