Archive for the ‘Corruption’ Category

Mr. PM every Pakistani is paying tax

Dear Mr. Imran Khan,

AoA.

Sir,

It really hurts when our rulers, ministry of finance bureaucracy and few media persons say our people don’t pay taxes.

Even, in your speech on 20 August 2018 you said that only eight lac people pay taxes, which figure is obviously not correct, because even the number of tax filers are above one million. Yet, again in your senate speech of 27 August 2018 the media reports about you saying that we are also among countries that pay the least amount of tax.

However, the fact is that each and every item except AIR is taxed in Pakistan, which means that entire population of about 22 Crore pays tax in our country. Yes, certain VIP’s receive tax free salaries and also the Independent Power Producers (IPP’s) are allowed tax free income in Pakistan.

Just one example will explain my view point that there are over 12 Crore cell phone users in Pakistan; and each one of them pay tax while using the cell phone. The irony is that this WHT paid by the cell phone users in hundreds of billions of Rupees becomes the income of the TELCOS; as they seldom deposit this huge tax collection with the government.

Even today it was reported by the media that one Airline company has not paid to the government Rs.130 Crore tax it collected from the traveling public and CAA has suggested to put the name of its owners on the ECL.

Sir, since the With Holding Tax was imposed in Pakistan, it caused two way negative impact on the economy. Firstly, it enhanced the prices of almost every item in Pakistan and secondly, it opened huge vistas of corruption for the traders/businessmen/industrialists and bureaucracy in the country.

Now, it is said that our tax to GDP ratio is around 10-12 percent, which is the lowest in the region and the world, as well.

But the fact is that our black economy is bigger than our white economy, in which our people are paying WHT and bribes etc., which amount is almost double than the current tax collection of about Rs.4000 Crore or $40 billion. If someone wants proof of my this estimate, I will refer to the news item published on 17 April 2018 reporting that the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), Javaid Jahangir, has claimed that during the audit year 2017-18 auditors pointed out irregularities amounting to Rs8.276 trillion or about $80 billion in the accounts of the federal government. Link:- https://www.google.com.pk/amp/s/www.dawn.com/news/amp/1402111

If irregularities are almost double than the amount of our budget; the level of corruption or black economy can be easily estimated by even a lay man.

Now, the mother of all the financial corruption and taxation problems in Pakistan is the regime of taxation in which over 85% taxation is INDIRECT and less than 15% taxation is DIRECT, plus the scheme of WHT which can be called as one of the biggest source of corruption in the country. Here please note that corruption can not be made unless and until money is taken out of the pocket (in the name of taxes) of the public.

As such, kindly, instead of blaming the public for not paying the taxes, which in fact, even the dweller of Jhuggi is paying, the issues highlighted above of high indirect taxation, tax relief to the VIP’s and certain industries/businesses etc., and the MASSIVE misuse of WHT should be resolved in an intelligent and smart manner. May be the WHT should be withdrawn, altogether considering that world was a better place to live, before the advent of the WHT.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Today’s sensational media reports of illegal and unconstitutional act of the chairman PCB, to tap the telephones of its employees, demands an immediate highest level inquiry; and if found correct then there was an urgent need of a shake up of the PCB’s administration and registration of criminal cases against the blatant violators of the relevant constitutional and legal provisions, guaranteeing fundamental rights of the citizens (read employees of the PCB) of Pakistan.

As far the Pakistani cricketers are concerned they always bear the burden of representing the image and the hopes of millions of their fans.

Their on and off field behaviours, have a social and political significance, that goes well beyond the field and enters into the homes of all the citizens, as well as, into the most powerful institutions.

The victory in a world cup ODI or a T20 contest, can move nearly all sections of the Pakistani nation, in an incomparable manner.

Thus, for the ordinary Pakistani cricket fan, PCB is not just an organisation; rather, it is a mini Pakistan (and its chairman a mini Prime Minister) and looked upon like the institution of the Pakistani armed forces, where they can’t imagine, any compromise shall be made, on the image and reputation of the country; and where, rather than allowing the lowering of the national flag and pride, our sons sacrifice their lives.

Hence, the PCB and not the players…. needs a turn around..!

We should not be so naive to expect production of a Mercedes car from the manufacturing plant of a motorcycle.

Moreover, as Albert Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again, without any change, and expecting a different result.”

As such, we must not expect miracles by sending players to army institutions, for some rigorous training. If that was the case, why armed forces sports teams world over and in Pakistan, are NOT the number one teams, in all the sports they participate?

Nowadays, like the management, sports is a science and the role of the amateur handlers is over.

Only QUALIFIED professionals can train sportsmen, for producing world beaters.

Until and unless, PCB itself is turned upside down, our cricketing standards, particularly our domestic cricket will keep on sliding into the abyss.

The culture of taking work from the qualified professionals can NOT be handed over to the existing SENIOR staff of the PCB, who can’t even develop a multi-media presentation.

Everyone knows how many managers and above, in the PCB, can truly handle the computers, beyond  emails the reading?

It is suggested that PCB must be totally revamped (with a vision statement of BETTER THAN THE BEST) from the top to the bottom, to make it function, like a top class world level organisation, with zero tolerance for old amateurish and bureaucratic style of working, which breeds intellectual, moral and financial corruption, nepotism and favouritism, in each and every sphere of its operations.

Right now, PCB has become the last and final resting place of the great nincompoops of Pakistan.

However, the greatest harm the PCB is doing to the nation is that it is being run on a system, which is doing double damage; in the shape of production of mediocre run of the mill players; and at the same time, talented players are facing hurdles, in coming into the lime light.

If the PCB wants to survive in the fast changing world of competition, it must change its old habits and rebuild itself, inside out.

PCB must know that a professional organisation is “of and for professional people”.

For the inside out rebuilding, the PCB must come out in a crystal clear manner that “how it want to be thought of” and then consider every thing that the PCB “say and do.”

Every PCB department must also be converted into a “cost center” responsible for its revenues and expenses.

Side by side, the PCB must also shun its CULTURE of politics and self serving policies.

This is absolutely necessary, because culture of an organisation is the environment, under which, all it’s employes perform their duties.

What is needed by the PCB is to create a culture of team work, which stimulates and permeates in the entire organisation. And where the employees are recognised and duly rewarded for working with absolute honesty and professionalism.

While currently chaos, politics and leg pulling is rampant in the rank and file employees of the PCB, how it can be expected to produce players, who will not be equally, if not more, afflicted by these malaise?

As they say in the IT jargon, garbage in garbage out, or output can not be more than the input.

However, the top notches of the government and the PCB, must know very clearly that the PCB can not be turned out into a first class world level organisation, by just transfers, postings, change of designations, hiring or firing of employees.

In fact, such steps breeds even more discontent and ill will, among the employees and the general masses.

To achieve the desired results, PCB needs a total and complete overhaul, disregarding any political or other pressures for serving any vested interest(s), examples of which (running the organisation on an absolutely 100% merit basis) can be seen in many Pakistani organisations like LUMS, SKMCH & RC, IBA, NUST and the GIK etc.

Till such time, the PCB itself is turned into a center of excellence, it can’t produce a bunch of players, who can be the world beaters, on a consistent level.

In any team game, a team do not need champions like Don Bradman or David Beckham to be the world beaters. But, greats like Don Bradman and David Beckham in any team, can not excel, without the cooperation of other team members.

For our players to consistently excel at the international arena, PCB coaches need to repeatedly hammer into the minds of the players, the following famous quote of Aristotle.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”

Now, world over competitive sports is not considered just a past time hobby or entertainment and fitness activity.

Rather, sports activities are considered and handled as a specialised faculty of sports science.

As such, the PCB must shun business as usual, decades old approach.

There is an imminent need to totally wind up the entire current set up of the PCB, which has been turned into a center of excellence for politics, corruption, nepotism and cronyism; which was very aptly expressed by the legendary cricketer Mr. Waqar Younis, when he stated that there was more politics in PCB than the parliament.

The person to be appointed as the new head of the PCB should be a VISIONARY person, who is ready to accept the challenge of turning (in one year) the PCB into a world class organisation.

This goal can be easily achieved by splitting the Pakistan Cricket Board in two units,  as following:

~Cricketing Affairs (headed by a DG who must be a legendary Cricketer with spotless integrity and possessing corporate management acumen)

~Administrative Affairs (headed by a DG who should be a business & management professional)

The new head of the PCB must only be appointed, when you are personally satisfied about his capabilities, after his one on one, interview with you.

Moreover, the PCB think tank must “PLAN FOR SUCCESS” with clear and measurable objectives.

The PCB must also not forget that the world’s best and most expensive coaches are NOT the recipe for the success. If this notion was true, rich countries like the USA and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, would have been the world champions, in many sports like football etc.

The recipe for success mostly lies in the smooth working of a well defined system, lead for which must come from none other than the PCB chairman.

Gone are the old decadent ways of assembling players for a camp, just before the tour to show their fitness and playing abilities.

It must be the specified duty of the think tank and the selectors to devise a plan to monitor 24/7 the health, eating habits, general behaviour and performance of the CONTRACTED players, in a scientific manner. These contracted players must not be allowed to have a free reign, even during the off days, as they are almost like paid employees of the PCB.

Moreover, the FINE TUNING and grooming of the marked pool of all the talented and upcoming players (non-contracted) should be the SPECIFIC responsibility of the NCA staff, who must constantly produce, highest calibre five players, for each position of the game, both for the men and the ladies teams.

As such, rather than hiring a foreign coach for the national team, we need to hire an experienced and QUALIFIED foreign expert, who has the experience of running the sports academy on professional lines, may be from Australia. This expert should be assigned the task to turn all the NCA’s into centres of excellence, second to none in the world.

It will not be out of place to conclude, by mentioning the quotes of the three famous sports coaches, for the motivation of our players, who are under tremendous pressure to perform on a consistent level.

“Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.”
– Vince Lombardi

“When you’re playing against a stacked deck, compete even harder. Show the world how much you’ll fight for the winners circle. If you do, someday the cellophane will crackle off a fresh pack, one that belongs to you, and the cards will be stacked in your favor.”
– Pat Riley

I’ve never played for a draw in my life.

Alex Ferguson

In England, it’s a rare thing to see a player smoking but, all in all, I prefer that to an alcoholic. The relationship with alcohol is a real problem in English football and, in the short term, it’s much more harmful to a sportsman. It weakens the body, which becomes more susceptible to injury.

Alex Ferguson

I’m going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation but the second ones don’t fly. They’re the subs for the first ones. And then the second ones take over – so it’s teamwork.

Alex Ferguson

The work of a team should always embrace a great player but the great player must always work.

Alex Ferguson

Wishing you Godspeed in your endeavours to make Pakistan, the best of the best in the world.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

A stern warning to PM in 2013..!

Mr. PM arrest economic downslide..!

Pakistan Observer 9 Sep 2013
Syed Nayyaruddin Ahmad Email:
nayyar51@hotmail.com

THERE is a strong feeling that government is mortgaging the future of the country with the foreign donor agencies, by taking so much huge amount of loans (that too just for the repayment of the old loans), which this poor country may never be able to repay. This means that in every terms, we have gone bankrupt; and can’t even breathe, without the debt life line.
The gravity of the loan repayment situation can be gauged that during the FY 2102-13 Pakistan spent about 1 trillion PKR out of the FBR’s revenue earnings of less than 2 trillion PKR. Today, Pakistan is not under huge debt, rather, it is completely buried under the debt. The government has borrowed Rs.611 billion in just 40 days from the state bank of Pakistan, as against Rs.507 billion in full year (2012-13). In other words, the PMLN’s government has borrowed Rs.15.3 billion per day in 40 days, as against Rs.1.4 billion per day by the previous regime in 2012-13.
The 6% depreciation of Rupee vs the USD in the last 80 days, has cost Pakistan Rs.3.5 billion per day and has added additional Rs.276 billion in public debt in the last 80 days. (Figures quoted in this para and its preceding para were reported by Dr. Ashfaque H Khan, in his article, titled “A nation’s debt” published by in a national English dated 27 August, 2013).
H’able Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif Sahab, you always spoke against the debt burden through out the last 5 years tenure of the PPP. However, now your government has broken the entire 365 days record of the PPP government in just first 40 days, as per the details explained above. As such, kindly take it as very serious matter (of the economic life and death of Pakistan) because, all the world knows that the USSR, the strongest nuclear power of the world, was broken, not because of any enemy action, but by its own economic melt down.
Sir, unfortunately, all financial indicators points that your era is moving the country fast towards economic melt down. You may remember, I requested you to to take the personal charge of the affairs of the country, lest the situation may not come to a pass, where even you may not become helpless, to stem the rot.
In this regard, after declaring an economic emergency, the following economy and austerity measures are suggested for adoption, to at least put up an impression to the masses, that government is seriously contemplating to improve the economic resurgence of Pakistan. And also to dispel the impression that your economic policy is not to just blindly run the country on domestic and foreign loans and to merely pass your tenure of the government, without bothering about the repercussions of the future inability of the country, to pay back these loans.
Immediate 50% reduction of all the pay and perks of the entire government servants/employees from president to the peon. This should include all government employees, employees of the government semigovernment/autonomous corporations/ banks, PIA, Railways, Steel Mills etc. However, upon improvement of the economic situation the unpaid 50% salary amount should be gradually given back to the employees.
Moreover, for all these government employees, there should be a 50% rebate in payment of all utility bills and educational fees of their children during this period of economic emergency. 50% expenditure reduction in the entire PSDP. Absolute ban on the foreign trips of the government officials. All international meetings to be attended by the respective envoy’s of Pakistan, in that country.Absolute ban on the foreign medical treatment on government expenditure, right from the top to the bottom.
Cessation of the entire subsidy on the food items available to the Senators, MNA’s and MPA’s at the Parliament’s cafeteria, where Roti is served almost free; and even in Peshawar, it is selling at Rs.15/- for the general Public. Complete ban (in real sense) on the official entertainments at all levels.
NAB may be directed to take very immediate steps (absolutely ruthlessly) to recover (from within and outside Pakistan) all the looted national money, on a fast track basis. Immediate nationalisation (without giving any time to the ultra rich people to move their precious jewellery out of Pakistan) of the Gold, diamonds, gems and precious metal in Pakistan.
Reduce taxation rate of all types of taxes, GST, levies, excise etc. to a maximum of 10%. During the currency of this economic emergency period, there should be a ban on increase in the prices and rates of POL, utilities and all essential items.

Respected Justice (Retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk

Caretaker Prime Minister and Patron of the PCB

اسلام و علیکم
Sir,

I take this opportunity to invite your kind attention towards the state of affairs of the PCB and the role of its Board of Governors, considering that another reported meeting of the BoG of the PCB is scheduled on 17 July 2018.

The current BoG members list is given as below:

Mr. Najam Aziz Sethi Chairman
Mr. Arif Ejaz
Lt. Gen (R) Muzamil Hussain- WAPDA
Dr. Najeeb Samie- HBL
Mr. Miftah Ismail- SSGC
Mr. Mansoor Masood Khan- United Bank Limited
Mr. Murad Ismail- Quetta
Mr. Shahrez Abdullah Khan – Lahore
Mr. Kabir Ahmed Khan – FATA
Federal Secretary, Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, Government of Pakistan or any other officer nominated by him shall be an ex officio member and shall have the right to attend and speak at all meetings and otherwise take part in the proceedings of the Board of Governors, but shall not be entitled to vote.

It is requested that appropriate government agency may be deputed to investigate (afresh) and conduct a forensic/management audit specifically with regard to the minutes of the concerned BoG meetings, about why all the honourable BoG members of the PCB (which includes the then federal secretary of MO IPC and its minister Mr. Riaz Peerzada who were duly and separately informed) remained mum, over crores repeat crores of Rupees unlawful (and not allowed as per any clause of Franchise agreement) payments in the PSL-1 tournament, to the PSL Franchises, repeatedly brought to their notice in writing.

Our concerned agencies should also investigate all the honourable BoG members of the PCB, for why they did not raise their voice in any BoG meeting, even when the above matter of unlawful payments was already in their full knowledge and that the granting of BoG’s approval, legally held all of them collectively responsible, of all such grave financial irregularities, which were conveyed to them and was also in their knowledge, specially to the BoG member and the chairman audit committee, Mr. Mansoor Masood Khan, who is himself, a very senior banker, as well.

The agencies must investigate about Media confessions of Mr. Najam Sethi that he had prior [concrete] informations of the players intentions and plans of spot fixings in PSL-2, but he allowed the crime to be committed, he allowed Pakistan to be disgraced, but he STRONGLY opposed and managed to STOP the FIA probe from investigating the spot fixing scandal.

FIA should also investigate all the BoG members of the PCB about why they did not raise their voice in any BoG meeting, even when the above matter was already in their full knowledge?

Further, the relevant agency should question inaction and no inquest and reasons of hiding it under the carpet, on the part of the PCB/PSL management and all the BoG members of the PCB, on the following reported [ https://tribune.com.pk/story/1746622/7-franchise-used-bait-betting-scam-psl2/ ] betting scam about PSL-2, as reported by the media, despite propagation of zero tolerance policy on match fixings:

Quote.
“An alleged betting scam involving former Pakistan cricketers and officials that took place during the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has surfaced.
According to a report published in the Daily Express, a couple of former Pakistan cricketers colluded with a regional officer to form a betting company, using the name of a particular PSL franchise as bait. They lured possible betting clients by giving them confidence that they had people inside the franchise —including a coach and a team official — assisting them.” Unquote.

It was also mentioned in the news item that the company claimed that it had dispatched expensive cars and watches to the players as a part of their fool-proof plan. The people who placed bets were assured that the team would lose its first couple of matches, a claim that gained more credence when the team lost its first match — resulting in more bets.

Here the question arises why it was in the interest of the PCB/PSL management to hush up the report and not go deep into the reasons of creation of a company to form a betting company, using the name of a particular PSL franchise as bait?

This is a very serious matter and the silence of the entire BoG of the PCB is really deafening.

Moreover, in an another recently reported scandal, {which deserves deep inquiry from an appropriate federal agency} It is very difficult to believe that PCB and ICC will be so naive to have been startled

[as reported by the daily Dawn in its report dated 25 June 2018 link..https://www.dawn.com/news/1416015 ] by the remarks of Pakistani batsmen Umar Akmal that he was approached by bookmakers during the 2015 World Cup to leave two balls for $200,000 for the One Day match (50 overs match) of ICC World Cup 2015 played at Adelaide, Australia on 15 February 2015.

This was the same match about which former Pakistani Test Cricketer Mr. Sarfaraz Nawaz has been pointing out, about a news item, published in a newspaper, reporting about a top Pakistani official of PCB visiting Delhi and staying at the residence of a famous India Bookie (cricket match fixer) who paid Rs.40 crores and Rs.6 crores for Pakistani cricket team to lose two World Cup 2015 matches against India and West Indies, respectively.

Pakistani team did lose both the matches against India and West Indies in a most miserable manner.

In this regard, the then PM and Patron in Chief of PCB was duly requested for holding an inquiry, but of no avail.

Before dilating over that particular Indo-Pak WC2015 match, it will not be out of context to mention that recently PCB heavily punished Sharjeel Khan for playing two, repeat only two DOT balls in a PSL match, played in February 2017 at UAE.

Some self explanatory statistics of that famous Rs.40 crore Indo-Pak ODI WC2015 match, are provided below for your kind Information.

1. Pakistan lost the match against India by 76 runs (in 47 overs) by not even completing quota of 50 overs. (please remember that there was a reported advance payment of Rs.40 Crore for losing the match against India by an Indian bookie, at his Delhi residence, to a top PCB official. Now the genuineness of this report can easily be verified by checking the travel documents of all top PCB officials, to confirm, if anyone of them did visit Delhi, prior to Indo-Pak 15th February 2015 match and what was the purpose of their visit to India).

2. Now coming to the reported offer to Umar Akmal of USD 2,00,000 for two DOT balls, it will be not be a surprise to note that our team played 168 DOT balls in their innings, which is equal to 28 overs of complete DOT balls. Please remember (as informed above) that Sharjeel Khan was severely punished for playing only two DOT balls in a PSL match.

3. Pakistani team’s playing of full 28 DOT balls in an innings of just 47 overs, means that our team scored on only 114 balls or 19 overs in a match of 50 overs.

4. Umar Akmal himself scored zero and played four DOT balls in that World Cup match against India, while Umar Akmal told Samaa TV that he was approached by bookmakers during the 2015 World Cup to leave two balls for $200,000.

5. In this regard, Media has also reported very alarmingly that after PCB issued a show cause notice to Umar Akmal, he was called at the PCB headquarters in Lahore and subsequently PCB allowed Umar Akmal to play a league tournament in Canada. If this news was correct, it clearly implies that PCB has decided to not take any further action against Umar Akmal and the startling scandal was shelved by the PCB without taking it to its logical conclusion.
In this connection, some further main points for your consideration of an investigation against PCB and PSL management and financial irregularities are detailed below for your convenience and consideration please.

1. Why Mr. Najam Sethi sent (after refusing the permission initially but when the League agreed to pay few lac dollars to the PCB the consent was accorded) our 27 players in the lap of the Indians infested T10 League in the UAE and why no member of the BoG of the PCB ever questioned this matter in the board meeting?

2(a). Complete and abject surrender of PCB before the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) in the ICC.

PCB under Mr. Najam Sethi voted in December 2017 for India (BCCI) to be made Big-1 after voting to make India Big-3 in 2014.

No international cricket during IPL from 2019 [Update Post #97]
Link:- http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?267451-No-international-cricket-during-IPL-from-2019-Update-Post-97

Link:-https://www.google.com.pk/amp/s/m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/virtually-no-international-cricket-during-ipl-from-2019-bcci-ceo-johri/amp_articleshow/62544323.cms

2(b). Why Mr. Najam Sethi did not raise any objections in the last meeting of the ICC held in Singapore on 7-8 December 2017 over the Indian plan of making BCCI as Big-1, and agreed unconditionally, with the Indian plan which stipulates that from 2019 onwards, no cricket series will be played in the world under the ICC’s auspicious, during the days/time when IPL will be underway in the months of April and May? Strangely, the England’s Cricket Board (ECB) objected to this proposal of the BCCI, but Mr. Najam Sethi representing PCB, unconditionally supported the Indian Plan and raised no objection. And, despite such a huge and highly anti-Pakistan’s interest, favours granted to the Indians by Mr. Najam Sethi, what we we got from the Indians was that they refused to send to Pakistan, their blind cricketers team to play the World Cup matches during January 2018 in Pakistan; and on top of that Mr. Najam Sethi allowed our blind cricketers team to play against Indian team, the World Cup match, in the UAE, wherein, when the Indians refused to play in Pakistan, their match should have been forfeited and points awarded to Pakistani team: which when went out of home ground, to play in UAE, lost to the Indian team and Indian Blind team ultimately won the World Cup also.

Pakistan cannot allow Mr. Najam Sethi to make the PCB subservient of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) for reasons best known to Mr. Najam Sethi.

2(c). Mr. Najam Sethi is constantly humiliating Pakistan, by supporting out of the way [also remember Mr. NajamSethi’s all out and full support to the Indians in 2014 for the Big-3 plan in the year 2014, when, even Indian notables were raising their voices, against this Indian hegemonist plan in the ICC].

2(d). 450 million dollars question?

Reproduced below are some of the excerpts of the daily “The Express Tribune” news published on 30 June 2014 which proves that PCB’s income was to have been $450 million as a reward of supporting Indian Cricket Board’s plan of Big-3 in the ICC, which was originally (rightly) opposed by Mr. Zaka Ashraf, the then Chairman PCB, before Mr. Najam Sethi became Chairman PCB, as Zaka Ashraf point blank told the Indian Cricket Board Officials that any offer of tour of Indian Cricket team to Pakistan must be assured by a bank guarantee to PCB, so that in the event of any back out from the Indians, PCB will not suffer any financial loss and PCB’s support to the BCCI’s plan of Big-3 will not go down the drain, without any consequences for the BCCI.

Excepts of the news published by the daily “The Express Tribune” dated 30 June, 2014 are reproduced below.

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi claimed on Monday that his country will earn $450 million from the next eight-year cycle, mainly from four series with arch-rivals India.

India and Pakistan signed an agreement to play six series, four of which Pakistan will host in the next eight years, on the sidelines of an International Cricket Council (ICC) annual conference in Melbourne last week.
The windfall for Pakistan was made possible after they conditionally agreed to approve an ICC revamp that gives major powers to cricket’s “Big Three”, India, Australia and England.

“We get the most revenues when we play with India and if all goes well we are set to earn $300 million from the four series we host against India,” he said.

That, Sethi claimed, will get Pakistan the most funds after the Big Three.

“We will get revenues on fourth number, and I can say with confidence that in the next eight year cycle we will get $150 million dollars from the ICC,” he said, bringing the total takings to $450 million.

This compares to Pakistan receiving $10 million from the ICC per year in the last seven-year cycle, Sethi added.

3. Be Fooling the Nation:

3(a). Why the nation is being be fooled by Mr. Najam Sethi Chairman PCB by lodging a meagre $70 million compensation claim vs BCCI (against expected revenue of $450 million according to his own words reproduced above) with the Dispute Resolution Committee of the ICC [The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seeking $70 million in compensation, as reported by the daily The Express Tribune dated 11 April 2018 excerpts and its link reproduced as below:

Excerpt:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seeking $70 million in compensation. It initiated dispute resolution proceedings against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the ICC in November last year.
link:- https://tribune.com.pk/story/1683067/7-icc-forms-panel-resolve-pakistan-india-dispute/ ]

According to the own statement of Mr. Najam Sethi reproduced as below and also quoted above there would be NO COMPENSATION IF INDIA DOES NOT PLAY DUE TO NON-CLEARANCE FROM DELHI QUOTED AS BELOW:

“But Sethi said there would be no compensation if India does not play due to non-clearance from New Delhi.

“There was no compensation before, there is none now. This is not the norm in mutual series when government does not give permission.”

Link:- https://tribune.com.pk/story/729174/big-four-pakistan-to-earn-450-million-in-cricket-cycle/

AS SUCH THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION IS WHY MR. NAJAM SETHI GOT AN APPROVAL FROM THE BoG OF THE PCB FOR AN EXPENDITURE OF ONE MILLION DOLLAR/POUNDS IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXPENSES OF FILING THE COMPENSATION CLAIM [THAT TOO FOR A MEAGRE AMOUNT OF ONLY $70 MILLION DOLLARS INSTEAD OF $450 MILLION] WITH THE ICC AND WILL ANYONE FROM THE GOVERNMENT ASK THE CHAIRMAN PCB TO PAY BACK TO PCB ONE MILLION DOLLARS?

4. There was a huge question mark on the non-transparent auction of media rights by the PCB for EIGHT years (2015-2023) instead of FIVE years; and that too for a lesser value from the previous five years media rights auction (2008-2013).

Before dwelling in the details of the PCB’s media rights auction, the following questions needs satisfactory answers:

a).  PCB invited Mr. Andrew Wild Blood an international expert on media rights,  to ascertain the value of PCB’s media rights, apprised the PCB directors and senior management that its value was around $300 million to $400 million, then why the rights were sold at much less amount for EIGHT years instead of FIVE years, which was allowed by the members of  the Media Rights Bid Tender Committee.

b). Why 12 foreign companies who paid $10,000 (each) to PCB for purchasing the tender documents for participation in the PCB’s media rights auction, were not allowed to participate in the bidding; and only two companies namely, GeoSuper TV and Ten Sports TV were allowed to bid for the tender.

C). Although, the Media Rights auction comes under the PCB’s Marketing Department, why the Director and General Manager of the Marketing Department were NOT allowed to sit in the tender opening of the auction.

First of all kindly peruse below the Indian Cricket Board’s (BCCI) comparative performance of earnings of huge income from the auction of its media rights for the next five years (not eight years) over the previous auction of media rights:

5(a). Rupert Murdoch’s Star paid 38.5 billion Indian rupees ($592 million) for the rights to broadcast India’s home matches from 2012-2018.

5(b). Broadcasting giant Star India on Thursday completed its virtual monopoly over Indian cricket by bagging the media rights of the national team’s home series as well as domestic cricket for the next five years by shelling out a staggering Indian Rs 6138.1 crore ($944 million approx).

5(c). The exact increase of next five years earnings of BCCI of media rights over previous seven years (2012-2018) comes to:$944 million – $592 million = $352 million

5(d). Percentage increase comes to 62.71

5(e). On yearly basis the increase is detailed as below:

$592 million divided by 7 years (2012-2018) = $84.57 million year

$944 million divided by 5 years (2019-2023) = $188.8 million

Yearly increase comes to 123.24%

6. PCB’s comparative analysis of media rights income from auction:

6(a). According to the media reports (PCB rarely officially/transparently provides its figures like the BCCI) the PCB on 27 March 2015, auctioned its media rights for the next eight years {2105-2023} (including the 4 proposed Indian team’s visits for the home series to be played in Pakistan or outside Pakistani soil) for less than $150million (as per AB TAK TV channel report the bid amount for the auction was just a peanut of $125 million, with further deductions of production costs and UDRS expenses which may be over $10-15 millions, reducing the net earnings to a meagre amount of around $110-115 million), compared with the PCB’s 2008-2013 five years media rights auction amount of $144 million.

6(b). The exact DECREASE of next eight years (2015-2023) earnings of PCB’s media rights over previous five years (2008-2013) comes to:

$115 million – $144 million = NEGATIVE $29 million

6(c). Percentage decrease comes to Minus 20.13%

6(d). On yearly basis the DECREASE is detailed as detailed below:

$144 million divided by 5 years (2008-2013) = $28.8 million per year

$115 million divided by 8 years (2015-2023) = $14.38 million per year

Yearly DECREASE comes to 49.93%

7. Besides the matters pointed out above the Chairman PCB and all its BoG members must be asked to provide plausible and satisfactory answers of the following unlawful payments and mismanagement in the affairs of PCB and PSL:

7(a). PCB must provide the following documents:

i). Complete with all annexures, Internal and external audit reports of PCB for years 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017.

ii). Complete Internal and external audit reports with annexures of PSL-1 and PSL-2.

iii). Complete and all documents demanded by the Special Audit Team of the AGP which conducted the Special Audit of the PCB in 2017 and such documents were not produced before the Special Audit Team.

8. Why a huge amount Rs.22 Crore was paid by the PCB to its five franchises from the profit of PSL-1 when:

8(a). No such payment clause was mentioned in the agreements with any franchise party?

8(b). No prior audit of PSL-1 was conducted.

8(c). No Prior audit of any franchise company was conducted before payment/release of this huge amount of Rs. 22 Crore to the five franchises.

9. Why an amount of about Rs.40 crore was paid to the five franchises on account of a one-sided and strange clause in the franchise agreement, which stated that franchises will be paid out of the income from Pool Money, a minimum of 80% income amount?

9(a). Nowhere, in any agreement, minimum limit of payment is mentioned. And the upper or maximum limit of payment was deliberately not mentioned in the franchise agreement, which caused huge, straight and strange loss to the PCB.

9(b). Accordingly, this clause resulted in unprecedentedly reduced payment to the PCB, on account of pool money income, notwithstanding the fact that initially and still now, the PSL gets all the time, resources and money (PCB paid huge amount of seed money to start PSL) from the PCB. It is reported that initially, PCB gave seed money of Rs.50 Crore for PSL venture.

9(c). Why this huge payment allowed of pool money (minimum 80% MAXIMUM NO LIMIT) to the five franchises which was also highly disproportionate to the seed money’s big share of the PCB, which it contributed at the time of establishment of PSL secretariat?

10. Why beyond agreement and unlawful Payment of Rs.5 crore was allowed to the five franchises on frivolous account of Support fund, which was highly objectionable way of dishing money unlawfully, from the income of PSL-1?

11. Why PSL-1 budgeted expenditure which was about Rs.77 crore, but actual expenditure went to almost Rs.90 crore? Again no vouchers verified, no tangible and cogent reasons were provided with documentary proof of basis of originally budgeting the expenditure and verifiable documentary evidence, of reasons of excess actual expenditure of about Rs.12 crore of Rupees.

12. Why Mr. Najam Sethi did NOT allow the auditors of the Special Audit team of the AGP office in 2017 to SEPARATELY audit the PSL-1 and PSL-2 accounts, despite Mr. Najam Sethi telling the nation on media many times that PSL-1 accounts have been audited and PSL-2 accounts were under audit? What actually happened when Special Audit team of AGP office went in 2017 to conduct Special Audit of PCB/PSL that only PCB’s accounts (without all marketing department’s documents) were allowed by Mr. Najam Sethi to be audited, but he continued to mislead the nation by telling over media that PSL-1 accounts have been audited and approved by the board and the audit of PSL-2 accounts will be completed by early January 2018. (link:- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZIHYxUoDIE ). Here in this video of 22 November 2017 he categorically told that PSL-1 Audit was completed and APPROVED and about the stage of audit of PSL-2 all questions of the external auditors have been replied by the PCB and provided to the external auditors, who (External Auditors) will finalise & submit their report by 1st or 2nd week of Jan.2018.

13.When reportedly PCB loaned Rs.50 Crore as seed money to start PSL and a separate secretariat was established (with Mr. Najam Sethi appointed as Chairman of PSL) and even near about Rs.4 Crore was unlawfully paid to 33 PCB senior/junior employees as PSL allowance, why now PCB did not allow audit of PSL with the Special Audit Team of the AGP office?

14. Further, there is another extremely important point that if PSL accounts were not maintained separately then false profit was declared and distributed to the five franchises, by absorbing PSL expenses into the overheads of the PCB. This act if it has happened is nothing but a deliberate financial crime and gross unlawful act for which not only Mr. Najam Sethi, but the entire members of the Board of Governors, the Audit Committee (of which Mr. Najam Sethi was also a member) and the CFO (who was also paid an hefty amount as PSL allowance) are responsible, collectively and individually.

15. Why separately and unlawfully very high amounts of about Rs.4 crore were paid to 33 employees of the PCB, who were looking after the PSL’s work as Pakistan Super League Allowance without approving Eligibility Policy? Now, who will pay back these unlawful salary disbursements to the PCB, Mr. Najam Sethi the then chairman PSL, CFO, all the members of the audit committee or all the members of the BOG, who raised no questions on these unlawful payments while approving the accounts of PSL-1?

16. Why Mr. Najam Sethi violated the ethics and norms of the corporate good governance practices by keeping himself as a member of the Audit committee of the PCB, which resulted in the audit committee of the PCB not raising any objections for not conducting a separate audit of the PCB and on other huge unlawful payments.

17. A question must be asked that why the Draft for players for PSL-2 was not held in Pakistan but held at Dubai (causing huge avoidable expenditure) when it was earlier held in Pakistan for PSL-1?

18.The approving authority of this holding of Draft for players for PSL-2 in Dubai, should be asked to refund this extra expenditure from his/her own pocket.

In the meantime, it is requested that till all these inquiries of severe financial and administrative irregularities in the PCB/PSL are finalised, the Honourable Prime Minister and the Patron of the PCB Respected Justice (Retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk Sahab is requested to immediately remove the chairman PCB and dissolve the PCB’s BOG with an ad hoc body, which should be headed by a spotless, competent and non-partisan personality, with sufficient experience of business/management/administration and enough knowledge of the game of international and local cricket.

 
Basically amnesty schemes are for the rich of the rich by the rich.

These schemes are offered to legalise mega economic crimes of the ultra-rich, in the poor countries falling in the category of Banana Republic: and are never offered, in the developed nations, where the rule of law is supreme.

In fact, in the poor countries the first thing the big wigs do is to get the amnesty scheme immediately legalised from the parliament and the judiciary.

In this regard, writing off of mega bank loans of the rich and mighty defaulters is also an amnesty for the ultra-rich persons of the society.

Never ever, huge educational fees, fat medical expenses and high utility bills (which includes payment by the poor of the share of theft charges of the utility facilities by the rich and mighty) have been waived off for the poor, in Pakistan, by any government.

In typical Banana Republics the huge and sprawling residences and production units of the high and mighty, invariably indulge in thefts of utility facilities and taxes with issuance of SRO’s, the burden of which, is passed over into the bills of the poorest of the poor, even living in the ghettos: and to cover up their smart moves, a propaganda is unleashed that very few persons pay taxes in the country.

Further, the hitmen of the Banana Republic excellently use their brains to serve their masters and befool the masses, by ingenious ways of deception.

In this regard, the previous government of PMLn found two genius masters/ministers who reduced the amount of Pakistan’s government debt and poverty, respectively, with just a stroke of pen, by changing the definition of total government debt and arbitrarily amending the status of poor living below poverty line, by a Royal Decree that those earning less than one USD per day will only be considered poor in Pakistan of PMLN’s government, instead of the internationally accepted yardstick of two USD per day.

If we calculate the losses suffered by the country due to the issuance of SRO’s by the previous PMLN’s government, the nation will be surprised to know that it may open a Pandora’s box of biggest ever financial scam of the country.

Moreover, like devaluation of currency, the amnesty schemes, theft of utilities, issuance of SRO’s and loan waivers increases the number of poor persons living below the poverty base line: and similarly increases the number of persons legally living above the ultra rich category, who only pay 10% of the tax revenue compared with 17% share of the poorest 10% in Pakistan, just because indirect taxation is above 80% and direct taxation less than 20% in Pakistan.

The gist of the above analysis clearly explains that Pakistan must immediately get itself unleashed from the policies of the hitmen and develop a homegrown politico-socio-economic system specifically designed to serve the masses not the masters.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

An Urgent Appeal to Conscientious Pakistanis all over the Globe.

SAY NO TO CORRUPTION

To:

All the Pakistani politicians and rest of the Pakistanis in Pakistan or abroad, who staunchly stand for the cleansing of our government and society from the cancer of corruption:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

AoA.

The federal government and the ECP are separately going into appeal with the SCP against the decision of the LHC for the mandatory submission of all the details in the nomination papers of the candidates of the Elections 2018 about their assets, nationality, Iqama, businesses and other sources of income before being eligible for the elections.

Dear Pakistanis,

If this vital information is not provided before the elections in the nomination papers (which was mandatory in all previous elections and now being withdrawn for E18 onwards to circumvent the Articles 62 & 63 of the Constitution of Pakistan), it will encourage huge/mega corrupt practices in the Pakistani government and society, without any fear or hindrance and tear apart the remains of social fabric of the honest people in the society.

This will in-fact, open the flood gates of corruption in Pakistan.

It is apparently an ingenious move to sabotage the Articles 62 & 63 of the constitution; and will effectively render impossible, to prove any elected public representative, liable for actions under the Articles 62 & 63 of the constitution, which almost means the aforementioned Articles of the constitution have been check mated, in an indirect way.

As such, kindly support this cause in favour of the LHC decision in the SCP (don’t forget that the ECP lawyer originally supported this matter in the LHC hearing and which helped the Honourable Judge of the LHC to give her verdict in favour of retaining the provision of all information which was earlier required for the submission of nomination papers) with all the force and strength at your disposal, particularly, on the electronic and social media, to save our future generations, for which our martyrs have been shedding their blood to achieve a Pakistan which will be safe, peaceful, prosperous, just and corruption free.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad
What’s app
+92 321 9402157

Sydney
————————————
I have launched a social media campaign on my Face Book and associated groups accounts, regarding total information requirement on candidates that has been curbed by last National Assembly.
If you like what I have please spread the word

We want to know “everything”….about the candidates we vote for in 2018
We will not go into elections, unless we have complete knowledge of every candidate.
PS: please copy and repost if you agree.
http://tns.thenews.com.pk/embarrassing-disclosures/#.WxMp9v9RWEc

In the name of electoral reforms, all the political parties collusively and cleverly ensured non-disclosure of essential details in nomination forms for the forthcoming elections. Whenever we write about the existence of an unholy, anti-people alliance amongst elites — militro-judicial-civil complex, politicians and businessmen — many think it is mere rhetoric or vent by the under-privileged against the rich and mighty. However, time and again, they have proved otherwise. The latest manifestation is passing of the Election Act, 2017.

In the name of electoral reforms, all the parties collusively and cleverly ensured non-disclosure of essential details in the nomination forms to be used in the forthcoming elections. They have failed to realise that this was a requirement of the supreme law of the land (fundamental right of the voters to judge their representative on the touchstone of Articles 62 and 63). Concealing vital information relating to payment of taxes and loan write-offs etc is in conflict with Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, but till today neither any writ has been filed nor has the Supreme Court taken any suo moto action.

In the wake of 2008 and 2013 elections, the people of Pakistan thought that the rulers would respect their mandate by moving towards accountability of all and establishing an egalitarian society — the essence of people’s rule. What happened is just the opposite. Instead of showing any serious effort to reform the system, the elites are ensuring that financial matters are not scrutinised properly. Rather, these are totally eclipsed from public glare.

This concern is recently expressed by Tariq Malik, ex-Chairman of National Database & Registration Authority [NADRA] in an op-ed as under:

“Sadly, the Election Act of 2017 has clipped the powers of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to scrutinise candidates with regard to the declarations about their income, asset and loan status. Under the previous nomination forms all election candidates had to declare under oath that: “I hereby solemnly declare to the best of my knowledge and belief that (i) no loan for an amount of Rs2 million or more obtained from any bank, financial institution, cooperative society or corporate body in my own name or in the name of my spouse or any of my dependants or any business concern mainly owned by me or the aforesaid stands unpaid for more than one year from the due date or has been written off.”

Similar declarations were required with regard to the payment of utility bills and any criminal offences. Considerable administrative input has already gone into efficiently compiling this information and strengthening the capacity of the ECP to scrutinise candidates in the light of these public disclosures. There is clearly room for improvement, but it is ill-advised to do away with such public declarations altogether…….. The revised format for nomination papers would no longer allow ordinary citizens to access information on loan defaults and taxes paid by candidates. With regard to the former, there is a clear attempt by our political class to shelve the issue as a closed and shut case.

A legacy of the 1990s era, loan defaults were, in their essence, a political issue. Respective governments in this period used state-owned banks to grant loans to politicians masquerading as businessmen. In many cases, political clout was used to write off the loans of connected borrowers. In their seminal and landmark research on the subject, Asim Khwaja and Atif Mian, two social scientists, have already shown that politically connected firms during the 1990s and early 2000s were 45 per cent more likely to obtain a loan from government-owned banks and were 50 per cent more likely to default on these loans. Many of these beneficiaries should be clearly ineligible for public representation.

Many beneficiaries of loan write-offs are still part of parliaments though Supreme Court asked the government to punish them and their accomplices. Supreme Court in Suo Moto Case No. 26 of 2007 and Human Rights Case Nos. 2698/06, 133, 778-P, 13933 and 14072-P of 2009, while questioning the authority and jurisdiction of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to waive off loans, constituted on June 3, 2011, a three-member commission, headed by Justice Syed Jamshed Ali, former judge of apex court, to prepare a report in respect of recovery of written off loans from 1971 onwards.

The commission submitted its report in Supreme Court and a hearing was conducted on February 20, 2013. The Court in its order of the same date ordered: “the report of the Commission to be made public, which is available for inspection according to the Rules to all and sundry. However, the procedure for allowing inspection of the report shall be regularized by the office. The locked iron boxes are ordered to be kept in safe custody along with their keys.” A notice was also issued to all the learned counsels appearing in the case and all concerned for March 15, 2013.

The commission revealed that loans worth Rs2.38 billon were waived off between 1971 and 1991 whereas loans worth Rs84.62 billion were waived off between 1992 and 2009. The commission, while holding bankers responsible for extending short-term or long-term loan facility to borrowers on inadequate securities, had recommended action against willful defaulters who took benefit of SBP’s Circular BPD No. 29, which expired on April 14, 2003 although the banks continued writing off loans till 2011.

The commission also has given the names of companies and directors who were beneficiaries of loan waivers but no action has been taken till today. The commission could only probe 740 cases and proposed that 222 more cases should also be probed as Rs35 billion were waived off in those cases. The report found serious irregularities in loans given to politicians, civil and military bureaucracy, but could not get proofs about waiver on political basis, as bank officials allegedly “concealed the facts because they were afraid of the influential persons.”

The bankers, the report says, “have given only business reasons for writing off the loans.” The report consisted of three volumes — Volume I (Report of the Commission), Volume-II (Parts I to VII, synopsis of individual cases), Volume-III (Annexure of Volume I) — and the supplementary paper book (containing different correspondence).

The commission suggested four steps: (i) principal amount should be recovered less payment already made, if any (ii) tribunals comprising the on duty or retired judges of High Courts should be set up for the recovery of amounts (iii) legislation for the recovery of written off loans should be made and (iv) action should also be taken against the credit committees. As expected, the powerful vested interests resisted all the steps proposed by the commission. Till today, not a single rupee stands recovered from any big fish. Now they want to conceal these facts from voters as well in the nomination papers!

The inquiry into loans write offs by the commission revealed the modus operandi used for looting public money by the powerful segments of society. It is time that the plunderers of public funds are punished and money squandered by them is recovered as suggested by the commission without any further delay — it is essential for establishing true democratic polity and bringing about transparency in both the public and private institutions. If 2018 elections are held without such scrutiny, it will be nothing but another farce for the people of Pakistan.

It is a constitutional command that honest and truthful declaration of all facts, assets and liabilities by a contesting or returned candidate in his/her nomination papers, constitutes a benchmark for reviewing his/her integrity and probity in the discharge of his/her duties and functions as an aspiring or elected legislator. Statement of assets and liabilities along with other financial disclosures is a constitutional requirement and cannot be waived or relaxed under the Election Act, 2017 — a subordinate legislation. These disclosures are not only essential but represent fundamental right of voters for determining the suitability of any candidate.

27 May 2018

Ten million jobs..!

Dear Mr. Asad Umar,

AoA.

Sir,

Please accept my wholehearted appreciation on your excellent article titled “Ten million jobs” published today on 27 May 2018 by the daily “The News”.

In this regard, as stated in your today’s article that Pakistanis should guide you on how best to provide an honourable livelihood to all our citizens and put the country on the path to sustainable prosperity; I give below my humble suggestions for engaging millions of our youth, in productive activities, through a well coordinated program, as per the details reproduced and also link given below:

Link:- https://www.snayyar.com/how-to-transform-pakistan-the-most-heroin-addicted-country.html#sthash.UXuhBx7d.dpbs

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

What’s app +92 321 9402157

Cell:               +61 490098320

Sydney

The following email message from the VP USA, reveals how much importance the US government is attaching to combat the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic ripping apart families and communities in America.

Email of VP USA Joe Biden, reproduced below, as an eye opener:

From: “Vice President Joe Biden”
Date: 13 December 2016 at 9:37:24 PM GMT+5
To: <nayyar51@hotmail.com>
Subject: God willing, this bill will save lives:
The White House, Washington
Last Monday night, forty-four years after the people of Delaware first sent me to the United States Senate, I presided over a Senate vote for one of the last times.

As Vice President of the United States and president of the Senate, I served as the presiding officer as the Senate moved forward on the 21st Century Cures Act, a bill that will harness America’s best minds in science, medicine, and technology to tackle the biggest health challenges of our time.

This bill will help us combat the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic ripping apart families and communities. It invests in programs to improve mental health treatment and suicide prevention. It will provide resources for President Obama’s BRAIN and Precision Medicine initiatives, so that our world-class researchers can figure out how to better prevent, treat, and eventually cure Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injuries.

And this is the part that’s personal for me and for millions of Americans: The 21st Century Cures Act invests $1.8 billion to help us end cancer as we know it. For over a year, I’ve been leading our National Cancer Moonshot to fundamentally change the culture of our fight against cancer and inject a sense of urgency into it. This bill goes a long way to help us — investing in promising new therapies, enhancing prevention and detection efforts in every community regardless of zip code, and bringing us closer to the day when there are vaccines for all kinds of cancer, just as we have them for measles or mumps.

God willing, this bill will save lives.

While I was presiding in the Senate, my colleagues from both sides of the aisle renamed the section of this bill on cancer research for my son, Beau, who lost his battle with brain cancer, but like countless Americans who lost their own battles, inspires us to do everything we can for the loved ones we can save. My thanks goes out to the bipartisan leadership — Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate — who ensured that this important bill became law. Without this true bipartisan support, this piece of legislation, which will help millions of Americans, would not have been possible.

Today, President Obama will sign the 21st Century Cures Act into law. One last time in our Administration, I will stand right by him at a signing ceremony — proud of our country, and proud of the work we’ve done to give people hope.

I hope you’ll join me.

Thanks,

Joe
We wish our federal and provincial governments in Pakistan were also aware about the drug related damage, being caused by this menace which is more damaging than terrorism, to our future generations.

In this regard, the recent deaths of a student of LUMS in Lahore and a lady in the Chamba House Lahore, reportedly due to the drugs overuse, is just the tip of the iceberg.

If anyone wants to know the stark reality of the gravity of drug menace in Pakistan, the following two paragraphs of an article’s link given below, will suffice as an eye opener:

Quote:
“Pakistan, a country already tormented by regional insurgencies, is fighting a losing battle against a different kind of foe: drug addiction. In the country’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), an estimated 11 percent of residents use illicit substances – primarily heroin. Peshwar, the provincial capital of KPK, is a city rife with homeless addicts and dirty needles.”

“Pakistan’s illegal drug trade is believed to generate $2 billion a year [making] Pakistan the most heroin-addicted country, per capita, in the world.” Unquote.

Link:- http://thediplomat.com/2014/03/pakistan-the-most-heroin-addicted-country-in-the-world/

In this connection, it is earnestly and urgently requested that the Prime Minister of Pakistan and all opposition parties, particularly having representation in the parliament (because they are ruling in all the four provinces of the country), to accord top priority to protect our future generations, from the most deadly menace of increasing drugs use trend, in our kids and youth on streets and educational institutions, by joining hands in planning and execution of legislation and action plans, on war like emergency basis.

In this regard, we should not only concentrate to fight the drug menace from just one angle, but our plan should be multi pronged, encompassing every conceivable activity in society, to provide healthy atmosphere to our youth.

First of all we must include the dangers of drugs use in the curriculum of the junior classes to educate and brain wash our youth in their early ages.

Sports is another activity in which, fortunately, our youth loves to indulge in.

Revival of sports in country will also provide jobs to many jobless youth in our country.

In this regard, a presentation on how to revive sports in Pakistan was given to the PMO on 6 September, 2016 wherein, it was also suggested to build few modern sports cities (as a part of CPEC program) to channelise the energy of our youth from drugs, crime and terrorism towards healthy sports activities, along with automatic provision of jobs, from the newly created sports industry.

Somehow, it seems that like all previous governments, this PMLN government does not even consider sports, as one of its last priorities.

If anyone wants to know the importance of sports in transforming a society, kindly peruse the following statement of late Nelson Mandela, slightly modified to be applicable on current Pakistani state of affairs of the society.

Quote:
“Sports has the power to change Pakistan…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite Pakistani people in a way that little else does. It speaks to the Pakistani youth in a language they understand. Sports can create hope for the entire Pakistani nation, where once there was only despair, lawlessness, hunger, unemployment, poverty, drugs, suicide bombings and alarming increase of suicides due to the economic hardships. It is more powerful than government in breaking down the menace of drugs and terrorism which has blown the country to the smithereens.”
Unquote.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

An advice/plan previously given on 26 June 2016 to PMLN’s government titled “How to improve economy with sports?” which fell on deaf ears of those who were never bothered about the welfare of the teeming millions of Pakistan.

How to improve national economy and reduce expenses on health budget with investment in sports..?

26 June 2016

Respected Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Sahab,

اسلام و علیکم

Sir,

The subject mentioned article is submitted for your personal kind perusal and is based on an old maxim quoted as below:

“The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton”.
(i) The British were given to believe the real reason which tipped the balance in their favour in wars was the superior character of its young men built in boarding schools while playing games like cricket.

(ii) Eton was one of the famous English boarding schools that trained English boys for careers in the military, civil service and the church. (DAANISH Schools of the Punjab Government are a great example of a visionary project to turn around the fortunes of the future generations of Pakistan).

(iii) Famous public schools saw team sports like cricket not just as outdoor play, but as an organised way of teaching English boys, the discipline, the importance of hierarchy, the skills, the codes of honour and the leadership qualities that helped them build and run the British Empire.

(iv) Through the game of cricket-the ideal that cricket was played not for victory or profit but for its own sake, in the spirit of fair play, the British imperialists sought to justify their conquests and glorify the self image of English elite as “unselfish acts”.

(v) Though it suited the English ruling class to believe that it was the superior character of its young men built on playing fields that tipped the balance, the Napoleanic wars were won due to the economic resources of England. It was progress in trade and industry which made England, the world’s greatest power.

As such, a humble effort is made with the subject mentioned article reproduced below, to raise this nation’s full economic potential in trade and industry, through a physically super-fit Pakistani population, which must collectively believe in the saying “healthy body healthy mind’.

Last but not the least, we have to consider the 200 million population of Pakistan, as a huge manpower asset of this planet, which needs to channelise its positive energy into specific future goals, set by the nation’s visionary leadership. The national leadership must also determine, how to achieve these goals.

ARTICLE.

It is no secret that how politics coupled with corruption, has spoiled the sports in the country, which has earned the DUBIOUS distinction of the worlds BIGGEST nation, NOT to have earned a single medal in the Olympics, since the year 1994. While, much smaller and poorer countries like Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Kenya, have proved that winning medals at international level is just a matter of commitment, dedication and simple hard work, sans politics.

In the past, luckily our cricket, hockey, squash and some other sporting teams and players have been bringing laurels for Pakistan; with very little money, extremely small size governing boards and minimal politics.

Gradually, the foundations of key sports in Pakistan were eaten up by the greed of money, rampant corruption, nepotism, politics and incompetencies of the successive governments, sports managers and the players combined.

If, we have to put the sports in Pakistan back on the right track, two basic things are necessary.

Firstly, a vision and secondly, visionary and totally focused sports leadership, to put Pakistan back on top, at the worlds’ sports map.

As far as, the vision is concerned, nothing ever said about sports can match the following quote of Mr. Nelson Mandela, “Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”

Now, taking a cue from the above mentioned statement of Mr. Nelson Mandela, it is suggested that Pakistani government should slightly re-phrase it and declare the following as its VISION statement:

“Sports has the power to change Pakistan…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite Pakistani people in a way that little else does. It speaks to the Pakistani youth in a language they understand. Sports can create hope for the entire Pakistani nation, where once there was only despair, lawlessness, hunger, unemployment, poverty, drugs, suicide bombings and alarming increase of suicides due to the economic hardships. It is more powerful than government in breaking down the menace of terrorism which has blown the country to the smithereens.”

Moreover, sports raised in the country on modern and scientific lines can be one of the biggest economic sector; providing employment, reducing poverty and drastically improving public health and fitness levels.

Under an sports advisor to the Prime Minister, we need to have a Pakistan Sports Commission (PSC) responsible for central planning under the banner میرا پاکستان sports system.

Under the this system, Pakistan will root out talented young children and put them in special academies from as young as four years old. If they are able to progress, athletes who make the cut should be put into a relentless training programme, filled with targets they must regularly hit, and paid by the government a monthly wage of Rs.60,000/-

Each year, the best athletes should then be sent to national training centres to be established at all the provincial capitals, where they will compete to enter Pakistan’s national team.

If they will succeed, they will move with their families into these training centres and live there all year round. These centres will train the sportspersons having the following mission statement:

“There will be no breakthrough without the hardest hardship. You cannot be a champion without going through the ultimate pressure”.

For as long as they will be successful, the national team members will benefit from perks including air tickets for their parents to watch them compete and, in some cases, sponsorship deals.

Sportspersons who will win medals in international competitions, or with national titles, can attend university after their career ends, with the tuition fee paid for, by the government.

The Pakistan Sports Commission (PSC) should have three units under the Advisor on Sports to the PM, namely the administrative departments, sport competition management centres, and other support and services institutions.

The PSC will be closely tied with All Sports Federations of Pakistan and the Pakistan Olympic Committee (POA). Besides forming strategies for sport development, overseeing their implementation, and developing mid- and long-range sport development plans, the PSC will be responsible for 9 number of functions as detailed below:

1. Creating a national sport framework

2. Promoting physical activity and exercise participation in schools and local and regional communities

3. Organising national sporting events

4. Organising international sport events in Pakistan.

5. Enforcing antidrug and anticompetitive measures.

6. Supporting research into the development of sports.

7. Implementing regulations governing the sport industry, sport market, and sport-related business activities.

8. Implementing national physical training standards and supervising public health in coordination with the Ministry of Health.

9. Overseeing sport activities with foreign associations and teams, and sport-related cooperation and communication with foreign countries.

To fulfill the nation’s Olympic strategies and ambition, the PSC and sport authorities at the provincial level will play a key role in promoting sport development in Pakistan.

One of the strategies should be the sponsorship of the Pakistan National Games (PNG), modelled after the modern Olympic Games; the PNG will be the largest and most important sport extravaganza in Pakistan. Each province-level administrative unit should send a team to compete in the PNG. The preparation for and competition at the PNG will allow the government to cultivate elite Pakistani athletes for major world competitions.

The essence of Pakistani Olympic strategies and ambition will be a unique system of selecting and training elite athletes.

Pakistan will become one of the few countries in the world that dedicate and use spare-time sport schools extensively to train and prepare future elite athletes. A spare-time sport school will be a boarding school specialized in sport and established to train Olympic hopefuls. Students will be selected for their athletic talent. They will take academic classes in the morning and engage in rigorous sport training sessions in the afternoon. These sport schools will serve as a reserve pool for elite sport teams at the provincial and national levels.

The Sports Law of Pakistan should became effective within six months of the formation of the PSC, becoming the first fundamental legal document for sport.

The Sports Law will establish the main tasks and key principles in managing the sport industry, confirming the importance of mass sport, and identifying the duties and responsibilities of sport-related organizations.

Essentially, the law will set the framework for the development of modern sport in Pakistan. The enactment of the law will signify that the sport industry in Pakistan has entered a new era under the protection of the country’s legal system.

Based on the Sports Law, local governments at provincial and city levels will have the right and authority to make their own rules for managing sport within their jurisdictions.

The Plan for Olympic Glories should also be released by the PSC within six months of its formation. The plan should outline three goals:

(a) restructuring the system in elite sport training and management.

(b) enhancing the elite athlete delivery pipeline and system (including sport schools).

(c) endeavours to maintain the nation’s leading position in world sport competitions.

The PSC should also promulgate the guidelines for a national fitness program. The guidelines should be drafted with the aim of improving the health and the overall physical condition of the general population.

The guidelines will encourage everyone, especially children and adolescence, to engage in at least one sporting activity every day, learn at least two ways of keeping fit, and have a health examination every year.

The aim will be that by 2020 about 40 percent of Pakistan’s population would be regularly participating in physical activity and that clear improvement would take place in the physical fitness level of Pakistani citizens.

In this modern era sports needs professionalisation which will lead to commercialisation; this means that sports associations become profit-making entities and that there will be a club system and professional sports leagues will also be formed. Sports clubs operations will cover ticket sales, advertising, club transfers, commercial matches, and television broadcasting.

This will open for world wide sports playing and related job opportunities for Pakistani sportspersons.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

My rejoinder to Mr. Khurram Hussain on his article titled “The 4.9 billion-dollar blunder” published by the daily “Dawn” dated 10 May, 2018.