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Bread will cost more

The government has announced wheat exports to Afghanistan. This will only one thing for the people in Pakistan, the price of bread will go up. There was a time when bread use to cost 25 Paisas now it 6 Rupees. Meat use to cost 80 Rupees per kilogramme now it costs 450 Rupees per kilogramme. The reason for the exorbitant increase is that meat is being exported. The existing government has complete failed keep a check on prices. There is no price control system in place or even a system of subsidise the cost of food. The government does not feel obliged to benefit people in any way at all. Companies and shops are doing exactly as they feel like they just keep on increasing the cost of their products. Retailers are fed up and all are seriously considering closing shop. Any government which fails to lower the price of food, is doomed. Such a government is intolerable. The first thing the government should do is impose price control on everything which is being sold particularly all...

Do we really need a government?

The way things are going on in the country, one is forced to wonder about the relevance of the government. What has it done for the country and the people - absolutely nothing. The economy is perpetually at rock bottom. After the last time when people had foreign currency accounts, the government ended them. Now no businessman in his right mind ever keeps his income from exported items in any Pakistani bank, because now no one trusts the government and there is no reason to. No one wants to make the same mistake. Once was more than enough. A top priority is banking secrecy. The government should never question why someone is depositing a a large sum of money in any bank or withdrawing. No one should know. The government should interfere in bank deposits and withdrawals. But government wants to make its business. It strange when someone wants to buy a new car, unless there is proper documentation on the money which is being paid for its purchase. Why does the government want such r...

I cannot 'live' in Pakistan

I cannot afford to live in Pakistan unless I am equally rich as Zardari is. I can longer afford to pay for my food, I can no longer afford to buy petrol for my motorcycle, I cannot afford to pay for heating my food. I cannot afford to light up the single light bulb in my house. I keep it off any way. I am told there is no electricity but I no longer know about that I have kept my light bulb off. I am told the light bulb I occasionally switch just to see where I am going for finding something is going cost twice as much to switch on, whenever I do. Once or twice people from the KESC came warned I should stop stealing electricity. I told them I do not what they are talking about. They told my meter reading is too low and I am possibly stealing electricity. They said will come to keep an eye on me. I have forgotten what electricity is. When my friends and neighbours tell it will cost me twice as much I am surprised. How it that something I am not using cost me twice as much? I do not wha...

Rising prices and the war in Afghanistan

In Karachi the norm was that electricity load shedding never took place during winter months, because people had stopped using air conditioners. But strangely enough load shedding started in late 2001 when US forces arrived to invade to Afghanistan. Then food and fuel prices started rising as the war has raged on for almost 10 years. The cost of electricity has risen but the load shedding has not stopped. The cost of food prices, fuel prices have gone up. There can be only one logical explanation for this, the US forces need to be fed and they should be comfortable in the bases provided in Pakistan and in Afghanistan. This war is costing the USA a great deal of money. Special weapons and equipment require to be kept at specific temperature. The US has increased the number of its soldiers in Afghanistan - hence more demand for food, electricity and fuel. The people in Pakistan are suffering this outrageous price increase. Meat used to be Rs 80 per kilogramme now it has become Rs...

Again an oil and gas price hike

The present government is again increasing the price of oil products and of gas. It seems that the government does not have any source of income other than this. Why should this be the case? There are so many sources of income, but the government does not want to impose taxes on them or is not allowed to. Why impose income tax on the feudal lords (Zamindars, Waderas), impose land tax on them also. Impose income tax on the owners of brick kiln owners? The government does not want to touch those people because they are the people who run the government. Impose income tax tribal chiefs. This government all others before it impose tax on oil, gas and imported vehicles nothing else. There is complete of understanding. There are so many sectors where taxes can be imposed. One of the primary reason why tax is increased, is not because the government has run out of money, it is increased because all the greedy pigs in Islamabad take all that money away, so there is no money left for the go...

Electricity crisis another total breakdown

The total electricity breakdown in Karachi is not a new thing, it has been happening regularly. Electricity appears to be benefit of the privileged few. These largely are government officials, civil servants of every rank and file. They receive electricity free of charge. The myriad government departments consume the most electricity and electricity has to be supplied to them even if they never pay anything. In any case electricity should not be a Federal matter it should be a provincial issue. Provincial governments should be responsible for the supply and tariff of electricity. The Federal government has no business taking the money of different electricity supply organisation. There should be no authorities and organisations run because all of them are run by most asinine and absolutely corrupt people. At least when provincial governments are solely responsible they will much better than the Federal government. Federal government offices in different provinces will not be su...

Foreign media in Pakistan

It is very curious that international newspapers, magazines and other publications are not allowed in Pakistan. If Pakistan international banks, multinational companies in most businesses are allowed , why is foreign investment not welcome in the media business? When foreign investment sought - that such investment would increase employment opportunities and bring in much needed foreign exchange. But when it comes to the media the government does not say anything. Compared to Pakistan, India has allowed international investment in the media which. Foreign advertising agencies are not allowed to operate. There is no clear explanation as why this is the case. Just as foreign investment in other fields improves the income of different professionals in other fields as compared to local companies which prefer not to pay anything at all or no rules of management or anything resembling a modern business; foreign investments bring some order where there is absolute chaos. Journalists wou...