Blah Blah from The TeaBreak Team.

by Nayyar Hashmey

There are individuals, families, cartels, feudal landlords in Pakistan – who have amassed huge amounts of wealth, some legally but unfairly, others illegally as well as unfairly and many pounced upon the national exchequer merely because of absence of representative institutions, the institutions that could check the largesse of people in power. If they just could visualize, had there been no Pakistan, could they have ever been able to do this? For here in this land they have had no competition from a multitude of counterparts in the form of competitors in business, politics and other walks of life, were they to compete then in a huge sub continental market. They must thank this country that enabled them get rich so soon so easily.

It is time now they bring in their billions of dollars rotting in Swiss and offshore banks. Nobody asks them to distribute it amongst the poor of Pakistan but we only beg of them to bring this money and other assets back to Pakistan to whom it belongs. Even if they donate a chunk of their wealth to the poor and needy, the IDP’s of Swat, the refugees without the refuge of a home in their own homeland, it would definitely ameliorate the pathetic conditions our brothers, our pleasant faced, ever smiling hosts from the paradise of Swat are in, nowadays. This will be a proof of their love for Pakistan; love for their vote bank that brought them into power. Rest of their billions can remain within Pakistani banks as part of the national reserves.

Believe it or not but am certain, we won’t be needing to move around with a begging bowl in our hands. They should know the bitterest fact that beggars are never the choosers. Whatever they receive, whether in form of loans, grants, by the shylocks of world’s financial empires or the so called friends of Pakistan, it’s always tied with certain ‘terms and conditions’.

These terms are sometimes directly specified but mostly they are, not specified but implied. And in our case these terms are mostly one sided i.e. suiting the donors, why then opt for a money that ‘clips our wings’. I know it’s difficult especially for the people who became super rich through shortcuts (including large land holdings, blackmailing, indulging in drug businesses, over profiteering with monopolies offered to them through protections at the cost of consumers and other dubious means.

(Left) Bill Gates, the IT Wizard turned billionaire – has donated half of his income fror welfare.

Perhaps that’s the reason we don’t have amongst us the Bill Gates who through sheer intellect, and hard work make billions of dollars and then dole out half of that for welfare of poor and needy.

Can’t they learn even from Abdul Sattar Edhi who proudly says, even if I have to beg I will beg it from my own people, my own country. Why should I go to others when I have millions of Pakistanis who dole out part of their incomes (and they are mostly in the middle and lower income brackets of the society) and he says his people, the rich, the poor Pakistani brethren never disappoint him. They fill the begging bowl not of a beggar but of a derwaish, a living saint, a fakir who has devoted himself to serve, serve and serve.

If Pakistani expatriates, the Pakistani Diaspora, the common Pakistanis can do it, why can’t they and this includes the Zardaris, Sharifs, Chaudharis, Hotis, the billionaires in business and the feudal lords of Punjab and Sindh, the civil and military bureaucrats turned tycoons. They can learn something at least from this old man in Kurta, pajama with a white beard, a true Mujahid amongst us!

Posted in Editorial, Letter from Editor Tagged: Abdus Sattar Edhi, Bill Gates, IDP’s of Swat, Pakistan’s Super Rich

This cup of tea was served by: Wonders of Pakistan