Poor People of Sindh
View of Moen Jo Daro
Sind Art College
Interior People
Makli GraveyardView of Indus River
People are Facing Flood
Villagers
View Main Gate University of Sindh
What is Sindh? Where is Sindh? These are some of the reactions one gets when he starts talking about Sindh, for rightly so, not many people know about this beautiful land of beautiful people, that once was an Empire and a cradle of all civilisations that existed about 6000 to 7000 years ago. This civilization - the Indus Valley Civilization - the authenticity and evidence of which is found at Moenjadaro.. (the Mound of the Dead), about 350 kilometres North of Karachi, near Larkana, birth place of another son of Sindh: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, open the long and chequered history of mankind. Here civilised people lived in spacious houses with extraordinary drainage system, at a time when the rest of the world was in darkness and people still lived in the bush or on trees.
I am proud to be a son of that mother of civilisations - Sindh - and glad and honoured to be here to tell the story, in due humility, of this old, feeble, forlorn mother, victim of natural disasters, raped by the marauding, barbaric, uncivilised, and uncouth people of far and near, and abandoned by her very own children - the children that she loved, reared and raised, and protected in the warmth of her bosom. This mother gave to her children the most efficacious river, the Sindhu or the Mehran, on the banks of which flourished some of the most beautiful and richest cities and ports in the world, from where Sindhi merchants traded goods to and from other ancient civilsations - the Inca, Messopotamia, Sumeria, and the Great Chinese civilizations. It is here that international trade and maritime enterprise first originated and developed.
This mother Sindh, also gave her children the most irrigable alluvial soil on Earth, where all kinds of grain grew, providing abundant food for her children and rest of the world. Under the shade and protection of the warm bosom of mother Sindh, lived its energetic, resourceful, kind, humble and hospitable children, in peace, progress and harmony.
As I write this piece in the cosy comfort of my house in peaceful island-city of Singapore, I hear Naru Bhagat sing on my tape recorder : "Ka'at-u qariban-i jay aggian katium-i keenaki, cha'a budhaya'an?" (I weaved not the web before the Loved One, what am I to say?)
The mother Sindh provided everything in abundance - even love. So much love was oozing from her soul that having showered the torrents of love and adulation on her children, she still had a tremendous capacity and quantity of love left, which she progressively and regularly showered upon the children of other lands, other places, other worlds, and other cultures. They came to trouble her, torture her, and torment her. They trespassed into the peaceful lives of her children. They teased, tempted, trivialised and trode mercillesly over her children. Yet, this epitome of motherhood, this ocean of love, this graceful mother of mothers, this prologue of the history of civilizations, this land of mine - my mother land, my fatherland, Sindh - opened her warm heart and soul to all who came.
They came from everywhere - east, west, north, south, everywhere! From North came the Aryans, Alexander, Mongols, and Moghuls. From South came the British, the Portuguese, and the Arabs in boats, dhows and ships. From West came the Persians, the Greeks, Arghuns, and Targhuns. From East came the Mohajirs, the Biharis, the Delhiwalas, the beetlenut-chewing individuals of Hindustan - shirtless, shinless and shelterless. They ravaged, they plundered, they raped the grand old lady and tore her children...click apart from the warmth of her bosom. They manipulated, brainwashed and obscenely seduced her children - through beetlenut, Urdu (the language of the harems of Sultans, Rajas and Maharajas), and through the sari-clad belles - with naked stomach and belly, showing a pulsating midriff, a quivering belly-button, and an inviting gait with an open lascivious smile, and lustful twinkling of the eyes. They threw the grand old lady, the mother who mothered them just like she mothered her own children, who loved and opened her heart, mind and soul to them, just as she did for her own children. Yes, they threw her - knocked senseless, dazed and bewildered - in a dark bottomless dungeon of despair, drudgery and death. The love is stunned, the beauty is gone, warm bosom is warm no more, the mother is dead! Long live treachery, ingratitude, lust and infidelity!
During one of my regular visits to Sindh to see my folks, in December 1994, whilst driving down the Superhighway, from Karachi to Hyderabad, to visit my nephew and to attend the Parents' Day function at my old Alma Mater, the Cadet College, Petaro, I saw a body - wrapped in dust and smoke, generated by countless 'super' vehicles driven by the 'super' people - on the side of the Superhighway. I asked my brother, who was driving, to stop for a while. In scorching heat the body lay - no sound, no movement. An elederly lady, with dishevelled grey hair, eyes - a bottomless pit - deep, sunk, half-open. I can see years of toil, sacrifices, and love burried deep in there. Her bosom - open, cold, empty, and pathetic vaccum. She was in tatters. Her face - muddy, wrinkled, and yet, calm and serene. I can read countless questions and queries on that troubled, yet, beautiful face. Beside her, scattered all over was a crumpled heap of her only possesions - few old clothes, perhaps, the legacy of the past, and a murky, shrivelled photograph. There, beside her, was her 'kisto' (a begging-bowl) - empty, teasing and tormenting my vary soul! I looked at the photograph and saw a very beautiful lady - a typical Sindhi lady, dressed in Sindhi costume with a 'rao' (sindhi head covering) made of 'ajrak', white shirt with Sindhi 'burth' (designs and patterns) and the shalwar made of 'sussi' (the Sindhi home-spun cloth). Four handsome children - three boys and a pretty girl - fresh, smiling, innocent faces, oblivious of tomorrow, living only for that moment with their beloved parents. And a man - tall, robust, and handsome with proud moustache, a 'patko' (turban) wrapped around his head, and an 'ajrak' (a type of Sindhi shawl) hanging around his broad shoulders, and a Sindhi moccasin-like shoes in his feet - her husband.
A man from the adjacent road-side restaurant - there are countless such thatched restaurants, or hotels (as they call them) along the highway - came towards us, and started blurting out in half-Urdu (the national language of the country) and half-Pashtu (the language of the far, far away land of Pashtunistan), "Sahib," he used a filthy abusive word, "she is a Sindhi beggar woman. She is not yet dead. How can she die when I give her food to eat?" he said, giggling and slapping his chest. "Her husband is in Saudi Arabia and never comes back, her daughter is a 'rundi' (a prostitute) and a mistress of a Sindhi Vadera ( he told us his name as well), one of her sons is a pimp for his sister, another one was very pretty, so pretty that he was liked and fancied by a lorry driver and he took him along with him in his truck to Peshawar (the capital of that far, far away land of Pushtoonistan). He has not been seen since. The other son is a thief, robber, beggar and addict. He lives in some 'makan' with 'mawalees.' They have beaten her, took all her possesions and left her at my hotel to die. I have taken pity on this woman and provided her with some food. During daytime she sleeps by the roadside, begging from the passing-by cars of the rich Sindhi Vaderas, but none stops, and at night.....," he paused and took out a tiny receptacle, from the folds of his murky shalwar (loose baggy trousers). Looking at the mirror on the lid of the receptacle, he, scratched his moustache with his dirty long-nailed fingers, opened the lid and pinched out something that looked greenish, pale, pasty stuff and thrust his huge fingers into his mouth, planting the stuff somewhere between his filthy brownish-yellow teeth. My brother later told me that the stuff is known as 'naswar' - a drug, which is used by people from that far away land, for 'kicks', thrill and stimulation, keeping them 'high' under the euphoric effect caused by the drug. He continued with a sheepish grin, arrogant show of body gestures, and that obscene mock in his eyes, "At night, she entertains and comforts my brother truck and lorry drivers, you know what I mean." At this instance, somebody shouted for him from the hotel and he abruptly turned and started to walk back to his hotel.
Yes, I knew precisely what he meant. It is for that reason, that he gives her the crumbs and the left overs of the steady stream of the truck and lorry drivers from the far, far away lands of Pushtoonistan and Punjab - his brothers. Yes, he gives her food! How can she die?
As I stood there transfixed another noisy lorry trudged by, one of the hundreds that kept on zooming past with 'high' drivers from the far, far away lands, and young 'pretty' Sindhi boys as their 'kleanders' (as they call them), leaving behind a suffocating pall of dust and smoke, which was so unceremoniously and ignominiously enveloping the body lying in front of me.
Lying motionless in front of me was not just a frail, aged, sickly lady, but a mother. And that mother, looked like my own mother, like any other mother that I had ever known. As I stood there - mesmerised, frozen, paralysed, with a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes which refused to fall, I heard the deep resonant voice of Fakir Abdul Ghafoor's on my brother's car radio singing:
"Moonkh-e Doongar-u Dorind-a aayo, Kechi Kech wancgan." (Kechis leave for Kech, I am left alone to wander in the rocks).
Suddenly, that mother was transformed into mother Sindh. The love is stunned, the beauty is gone, warm bosom is warm no more, the mother is dead! Long live treachery, ingratitude and infidelity! Yes, long live treachery, ingratitude and infidelity!
I took out my wallet, touched a hundred rupee note (no, too little), then a five hundred note (no, too little), finally took out a thousand rupee note, and holding it in my shaking hands, I approached the body, put the money in her frail hand, and said, "Ammar-i, du'a kajain-i" (mother, wish me well and pray for me). As I bent, she opened her eyes, looked at me, and said, "Abba, Allah waddee umir-i ddiyya-ee" (My child, may Allah give you long life). There was love in her eyes and sincerity in her voice. The same love and sincerity that I used to find in my own mother. And I gave her only a thousand rupee note for that love and sincerity! As I started to walk back to my brother's car, I heard Shah Bhittai whispering in my ears, "Heff-u tanheen khey hoi, watun-u janheen wisariyo" (Shame on those, who forget and foresake their motherland!).
I am proud to be a son of that mother of civilisations - Sindh - and glad and honoured to be here to tell the story, in due humility, of this old, feeble, forlorn mother, victim of natural disasters, raped by the marauding, barbaric, uncivilised, and uncouth people of far and near, and abandoned by her very own children - the children that she loved, reared and raised, and protected in the warmth of her bosom. This mother gave to her children the most efficacious river, the Sindhu or the Mehran, on the banks of which flourished some of the most beautiful and richest cities and ports in the world, from where Sindhi merchants traded goods to and from other ancient civilsations - the Inca, Messopotamia, Sumeria, and the Great Chinese civilizations. It is here that international trade and maritime enterprise first originated and developed.
This mother Sindh, also gave her children the most irrigable alluvial soil on Earth, where all kinds of grain grew, providing abundant food for her children and rest of the world. Under the shade and protection of the warm bosom of mother Sindh, lived its energetic, resourceful, kind, humble and hospitable children, in peace, progress and harmony.
As I write this piece in the cosy comfort of my house in peaceful island-city of Singapore, I hear Naru Bhagat sing on my tape recorder : "Ka'at-u qariban-i jay aggian katium-i keenaki, cha'a budhaya'an?" (I weaved not the web before the Loved One, what am I to say?)
The mother Sindh provided everything in abundance - even love. So much love was oozing from her soul that having showered the torrents of love and adulation on her children, she still had a tremendous capacity and quantity of love left, which she progressively and regularly showered upon the children of other lands, other places, other worlds, and other cultures. They came to trouble her, torture her, and torment her. They trespassed into the peaceful lives of her children. They teased, tempted, trivialised and trode mercillesly over her children. Yet, this epitome of motherhood, this ocean of love, this graceful mother of mothers, this prologue of the history of civilizations, this land of mine - my mother land, my fatherland, Sindh - opened her warm heart and soul to all who came.
They came from everywhere - east, west, north, south, everywhere! From North came the Aryans, Alexander, Mongols, and Moghuls. From South came the British, the Portuguese, and the Arabs in boats, dhows and ships. From West came the Persians, the Greeks, Arghuns, and Targhuns. From East came the Mohajirs, the Biharis, the Delhiwalas, the beetlenut-chewing individuals of Hindustan - shirtless, shinless and shelterless. They ravaged, they plundered, they raped the grand old lady and tore her children...click apart from the warmth of her bosom. They manipulated, brainwashed and obscenely seduced her children - through beetlenut, Urdu (the language of the harems of Sultans, Rajas and Maharajas), and through the sari-clad belles - with naked stomach and belly, showing a pulsating midriff, a quivering belly-button, and an inviting gait with an open lascivious smile, and lustful twinkling of the eyes. They threw the grand old lady, the mother who mothered them just like she mothered her own children, who loved and opened her heart, mind and soul to them, just as she did for her own children. Yes, they threw her - knocked senseless, dazed and bewildered - in a dark bottomless dungeon of despair, drudgery and death. The love is stunned, the beauty is gone, warm bosom is warm no more, the mother is dead! Long live treachery, ingratitude, lust and infidelity!
During one of my regular visits to Sindh to see my folks, in December 1994, whilst driving down the Superhighway, from Karachi to Hyderabad, to visit my nephew and to attend the Parents' Day function at my old Alma Mater, the Cadet College, Petaro, I saw a body - wrapped in dust and smoke, generated by countless 'super' vehicles driven by the 'super' people - on the side of the Superhighway. I asked my brother, who was driving, to stop for a while. In scorching heat the body lay - no sound, no movement. An elederly lady, with dishevelled grey hair, eyes - a bottomless pit - deep, sunk, half-open. I can see years of toil, sacrifices, and love burried deep in there. Her bosom - open, cold, empty, and pathetic vaccum. She was in tatters. Her face - muddy, wrinkled, and yet, calm and serene. I can read countless questions and queries on that troubled, yet, beautiful face. Beside her, scattered all over was a crumpled heap of her only possesions - few old clothes, perhaps, the legacy of the past, and a murky, shrivelled photograph. There, beside her, was her 'kisto' (a begging-bowl) - empty, teasing and tormenting my vary soul! I looked at the photograph and saw a very beautiful lady - a typical Sindhi lady, dressed in Sindhi costume with a 'rao' (sindhi head covering) made of 'ajrak', white shirt with Sindhi 'burth' (designs and patterns) and the shalwar made of 'sussi' (the Sindhi home-spun cloth). Four handsome children - three boys and a pretty girl - fresh, smiling, innocent faces, oblivious of tomorrow, living only for that moment with their beloved parents. And a man - tall, robust, and handsome with proud moustache, a 'patko' (turban) wrapped around his head, and an 'ajrak' (a type of Sindhi shawl) hanging around his broad shoulders, and a Sindhi moccasin-like shoes in his feet - her husband.
A man from the adjacent road-side restaurant - there are countless such thatched restaurants, or hotels (as they call them) along the highway - came towards us, and started blurting out in half-Urdu (the national language of the country) and half-Pashtu (the language of the far, far away land of Pashtunistan), "Sahib," he used a filthy abusive word, "she is a Sindhi beggar woman. She is not yet dead. How can she die when I give her food to eat?" he said, giggling and slapping his chest. "Her husband is in Saudi Arabia and never comes back, her daughter is a 'rundi' (a prostitute) and a mistress of a Sindhi Vadera ( he told us his name as well), one of her sons is a pimp for his sister, another one was very pretty, so pretty that he was liked and fancied by a lorry driver and he took him along with him in his truck to Peshawar (the capital of that far, far away land of Pushtoonistan). He has not been seen since. The other son is a thief, robber, beggar and addict. He lives in some 'makan' with 'mawalees.' They have beaten her, took all her possesions and left her at my hotel to die. I have taken pity on this woman and provided her with some food. During daytime she sleeps by the roadside, begging from the passing-by cars of the rich Sindhi Vaderas, but none stops, and at night.....," he paused and took out a tiny receptacle, from the folds of his murky shalwar (loose baggy trousers). Looking at the mirror on the lid of the receptacle, he, scratched his moustache with his dirty long-nailed fingers, opened the lid and pinched out something that looked greenish, pale, pasty stuff and thrust his huge fingers into his mouth, planting the stuff somewhere between his filthy brownish-yellow teeth. My brother later told me that the stuff is known as 'naswar' - a drug, which is used by people from that far away land, for 'kicks', thrill and stimulation, keeping them 'high' under the euphoric effect caused by the drug. He continued with a sheepish grin, arrogant show of body gestures, and that obscene mock in his eyes, "At night, she entertains and comforts my brother truck and lorry drivers, you know what I mean." At this instance, somebody shouted for him from the hotel and he abruptly turned and started to walk back to his hotel.
Yes, I knew precisely what he meant. It is for that reason, that he gives her the crumbs and the left overs of the steady stream of the truck and lorry drivers from the far, far away lands of Pushtoonistan and Punjab - his brothers. Yes, he gives her food! How can she die?
As I stood there transfixed another noisy lorry trudged by, one of the hundreds that kept on zooming past with 'high' drivers from the far, far away lands, and young 'pretty' Sindhi boys as their 'kleanders' (as they call them), leaving behind a suffocating pall of dust and smoke, which was so unceremoniously and ignominiously enveloping the body lying in front of me.
Lying motionless in front of me was not just a frail, aged, sickly lady, but a mother. And that mother, looked like my own mother, like any other mother that I had ever known. As I stood there - mesmerised, frozen, paralysed, with a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes which refused to fall, I heard the deep resonant voice of Fakir Abdul Ghafoor's on my brother's car radio singing:
"Moonkh-e Doongar-u Dorind-a aayo, Kechi Kech wancgan." (Kechis leave for Kech, I am left alone to wander in the rocks).
Suddenly, that mother was transformed into mother Sindh. The love is stunned, the beauty is gone, warm bosom is warm no more, the mother is dead! Long live treachery, ingratitude and infidelity! Yes, long live treachery, ingratitude and infidelity!
I took out my wallet, touched a hundred rupee note (no, too little), then a five hundred note (no, too little), finally took out a thousand rupee note, and holding it in my shaking hands, I approached the body, put the money in her frail hand, and said, "Ammar-i, du'a kajain-i" (mother, wish me well and pray for me). As I bent, she opened her eyes, looked at me, and said, "Abba, Allah waddee umir-i ddiyya-ee" (My child, may Allah give you long life). There was love in her eyes and sincerity in her voice. The same love and sincerity that I used to find in my own mother. And I gave her only a thousand rupee note for that love and sincerity! As I started to walk back to my brother's car, I heard Shah Bhittai whispering in my ears, "Heff-u tanheen khey hoi, watun-u janheen wisariyo" (Shame on those, who forget and foresake their motherland!).
Brief History of Sindh
Population: 30439893 (as per 1998 census) and 42378000 (approximately as in 2008)
Districts: 23
Talukas (Administrative units within a District): 87
Metropolitan/ Municipal Corporations: 9
Municipal Committees: 31
Town Committees: 116
Army Cantonments: 8
Villages/ Dehs: 5871
Average population per km2: 216
Ratio of urban population (living in Metropolitan/Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees and Town Committees) 48.8%
Ratio of rural population: 51.2%
Source: Pakistan Government’s Population Census Organization and Federal Bureau of Statistics
Natural Resources:
Districts: 23
Talukas (Administrative units within a District): 87
Metropolitan/ Municipal Corporations: 9
Municipal Committees: 31
Town Committees: 116
Army Cantonments: 8
Villages/ Dehs: 5871
Average population per km2: 216
Ratio of urban population (living in Metropolitan/Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees and Town Committees) 48.8%
Ratio of rural population: 51.2%
Source: Pakistan Government’s Population Census Organization and Federal Bureau of Statistics
Natural Resources:
Coal:
Sindh has 99% coal reservoirs of Pakistan. These are located in Lakhra, Soondha, Thar,
Meeting-Jhampeer and Badin. Among these, Thar coal reservoirs are the largest in the world.
Lakhra: 1.328 billion tonnes
Soondha: 7.612 billion tonnes
Thar: 78.196 billion tonnes
Badin: 9.000 billion tonne
Meeting - Jhampeer: 0.161 Billion Tonnes
Total: 96.297 billion tonnes
Source: Sindh Coal Authority
Natural Gas:
Lakhra: 1.328 billion tonnes
Soondha: 7.612 billion tonnes
Thar: 78.196 billion tonnes
Badin: 9.000 billion tonne
Meeting - Jhampeer: 0.161 Billion Tonnes
Total: 96.297 billion tonnes
Source: Sindh Coal Authority
Natural Gas:
There are 10 gas fields in Sindh from where natural gas is extracted. These are: Kandhkoat, Khairpur, Mari (The largest gas field where 20% gas is stored and 18% gas is produced/ used), Suri/Hundi, Golarchi, Khaskheli and Leghari. Sindh produces 48% of natural gas of Pakistan.
The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) daily extracts 986 MMCF of natural gas, 368 tonnes of LPG and 71 tonnes of sulphur. The gas is sold at the rate of 137.96 rupees per MCF.
Crude Oil/Petrol:
The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) daily extracts 986 MMCF of natural gas, 368 tonnes of LPG and 71 tonnes of sulphur. The gas is sold at the rate of 137.96 rupees per MCF.
Crude Oil/Petrol:
Sindh produces 62% of oil of Pakistan. OGDCL sales 43642 barrel of oil per day at the rate of 64.79 dollars per barrel.
Agriculture:
Agriculture:
Agriculture is the backbone of Sindh’s economy. The main crops of Sindh in summer season include cotton, rice, sugarcane, sorghum, millet, sweet corn, and different pulses, while the wheat is the main crop of the winter season. Sindh produces all sorts of vegetables and fruits such as banana, mango, lemon, orange, grape fruit, strawberry, cherry, peach, cheekoo and guava.
Cattles, Poultry and Fish
Cows: 3873883
Buffalos: 3220094
Sheep: 2615984
Goat: 6755234
Camel: 217853
Horse: 75850
Donkeys: 500160
Mules 5372
Poultry/ chicken/hens:8797905
Source: Pakistan Census of Live Stock 1996
Fish
Cattles, Poultry and Fish
Cows: 3873883
Buffalos: 3220094
Sheep: 2615984
Goat: 6755234
Camel: 217853
Horse: 75850
Donkeys: 500160
Mules 5372
Poultry/ chicken/hens:8797905
Source: Pakistan Census of Live Stock 1996
Fish
1139919 metric tonnes of fish are captured from different water habitats. 64400 tonnes of fish is captured from sea. Pakistan’s fish export is worth 133 million dollars. The entire fish comes from Sindh and Baluchistan.
Source: Fish Folk Forum and International Trade Statistics ( ITS)
The proportion of different taxes collected by Sindh for the Federal Government:
Direct Taxes: 67.65%
o Income Tax: 86.40%
o Wealth Tax: 63.21%
o Capital Gains Tax: 32.60%
o Workers Welfare Fund: 45.53%
Indirect Taxes: 68.32%
o General Sales Tax (GST): 62.10%
o Federal Excise Duty: 39.40%
Source: Planning and Development Department, Government of Sindh
National Finance Commission (NFC) Award
Source: Fish Folk Forum and International Trade Statistics ( ITS)
The proportion of different taxes collected by Sindh for the Federal Government:
Direct Taxes: 67.65%
o Income Tax: 86.40%
o Wealth Tax: 63.21%
o Capital Gains Tax: 32.60%
o Workers Welfare Fund: 45.53%
Indirect Taxes: 68.32%
o General Sales Tax (GST): 62.10%
o Federal Excise Duty: 39.40%
Source: Planning and Development Department, Government of Sindh
National Finance Commission (NFC) Award
The British Rule introduced the concept of participatory development and they developed the communication, irrigation, education, law and judiciary systems and provided constitution to united India in 1937.
During British Rule, the Sales Tax (GST) was a provincial tax but at the inception of Pakistan, making the emergency conditions as a pretext the Federal government snatched Karachi from Sindh and later on taken 50% of Sales Tax from Government of Sindh in order to control the financial deficit of Pakistan.
The federal government instead of respecting the 1940 Resolution (inter provincial social pact) and giving the provincial autonomy to all its provinces imposed ONE UNIT over 4 provinces just for sake of demonstrating equality to the then largest province, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Sindh was made a colony for the immigrants from India in an organized and planned way. Hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land were allotted to non-Sindhis (Civil and army bureaucracy) in Sukhar, Gudu and Kotri barrage areas.
After 25 years of Pakistan creation no justice and fair system/ dealings were delivered by the Federal Government towards Sindh.
In 1974, the government of Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto, instead of returning 50% GST (taken in the 1940s) to the Sindh snatched the remaining 50% and announced it as 100% Federal Tax. GST is never considered as Federal Tax in any part of the world, it always remains as provincial or regional tax.
In 1974, first NFC award was announced after which the military came in to the power. General Zia ul Haque announced two NFC awards in 1979 and in 1985. 1979 commission was never called while 1985 commission did not reach to an agreement. Mr. Jawed Sultan Jappan wala, the then finance minister refused to sign a totally unjustified award.
In 1997, Sindh again went under a ruthless betrayal by an undertaker government which had no lawful, justified and moral right of doing so.
Background:
During British Rule, the Sales Tax (GST) was a provincial tax but at the inception of Pakistan, making the emergency conditions as a pretext the Federal government snatched Karachi from Sindh and later on taken 50% of Sales Tax from Government of Sindh in order to control the financial deficit of Pakistan.
The federal government instead of respecting the 1940 Resolution (inter provincial social pact) and giving the provincial autonomy to all its provinces imposed ONE UNIT over 4 provinces just for sake of demonstrating equality to the then largest province, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
Sindh was made a colony for the immigrants from India in an organized and planned way. Hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land were allotted to non-Sindhis (Civil and army bureaucracy) in Sukhar, Gudu and Kotri barrage areas.
After 25 years of Pakistan creation no justice and fair system/ dealings were delivered by the Federal Government towards Sindh.
In 1974, the government of Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto, instead of returning 50% GST (taken in the 1940s) to the Sindh snatched the remaining 50% and announced it as 100% Federal Tax. GST is never considered as Federal Tax in any part of the world, it always remains as provincial or regional tax.
In 1974, first NFC award was announced after which the military came in to the power. General Zia ul Haque announced two NFC awards in 1979 and in 1985. 1979 commission was never called while 1985 commission did not reach to an agreement. Mr. Jawed Sultan Jappan wala, the then finance minister refused to sign a totally unjustified award.
In 1997, Sindh again went under a ruthless betrayal by an undertaker government which had no lawful, justified and moral right of doing so.
Background:
Up to this point in time, in all seven NFC awards, the distribution of resources has been done on the only indicator, that is population. Nowhere in the world, under a federal government system, the resources are distributed on the basis of only one indicator i.e. population. For example in India NFC award is distributed on 11 parameters. Having majority in population does not mean that the province contribute and consumes more resources. Therefore, this exercise does not fulfil the criteria of justice and equality. Hence, the distribution of NFC on multiple parameters is very essential.
In 1991 NFC Award, three taxes were under the federal government distribution pool:
Income Tax (Including Corporate Tax)
General sales Tax (GST)
Central Excise Duty (CED)
Custom tax was under jurisdiction of Federal Government and was not part of the distribution pool in the NFC award. However, above mentioned three taxes were in that pool. The following formula was in use for distribution among federal/ central and provinces:
Federal / Central Government: 20%
Provincial Government: 80%
In 1997 NFC award, the federal Government included the custom duty in to the distribution pool and beside this changed the formula of distribution among centre and provinces:
Central Government: 62.5
Provincial Government: 37.5
As a result of this formula the 2/3 of resources became the property to the central government while the remaining 1/3 came to the share of all provinces.
Apart from NFC, the income generated to the federal government from other resources excluding taxes, the provinces do not get the equal proportion. With reference of foreign loans, grants and development projects, principles of justification and equal distributions are also not followed.
The share given by provinces in the distribution pool:
Year 1999-2000
1. Sindh: 189.461 Billion Rupees, 63.7%
2. Punjab: 77.912 Billion Rupees, 26.21%
3. NWFP: 22.046 Billion Rupees, 7.42%
4. Baluchistan: 7.800 Billion Rupees, 2.62%
On the basis of population census of 1981 and 1998, the share given to provinces from the Federal distribution pool:
NO
Province
As per population census of 1981
As per population census of 1998
1
Punjab
In 1991 NFC Award, three taxes were under the federal government distribution pool:
Income Tax (Including Corporate Tax)
General sales Tax (GST)
Central Excise Duty (CED)
Custom tax was under jurisdiction of Federal Government and was not part of the distribution pool in the NFC award. However, above mentioned three taxes were in that pool. The following formula was in use for distribution among federal/ central and provinces:
Federal / Central Government: 20%
Provincial Government: 80%
In 1997 NFC award, the federal Government included the custom duty in to the distribution pool and beside this changed the formula of distribution among centre and provinces:
Central Government: 62.5
Provincial Government: 37.5
As a result of this formula the 2/3 of resources became the property to the central government while the remaining 1/3 came to the share of all provinces.
Apart from NFC, the income generated to the federal government from other resources excluding taxes, the provinces do not get the equal proportion. With reference of foreign loans, grants and development projects, principles of justification and equal distributions are also not followed.
The share given by provinces in the distribution pool:
Year 1999-2000
1. Sindh: 189.461 Billion Rupees, 63.7%
2. Punjab: 77.912 Billion Rupees, 26.21%
3. NWFP: 22.046 Billion Rupees, 7.42%
4. Baluchistan: 7.800 Billion Rupees, 2.62%
On the basis of population census of 1981 and 1998, the share given to provinces from the Federal distribution pool:
NO
Province
As per population census of 1981
As per population census of 1998
1
Punjab
57.88 Billion Rupees
58.38 Billion Rupees
58.38 Billion Rupees
2
Sindh
Sindh
23.28 Billion Rupees
23.72 Billion Rupees
23.72 Billion Rupees
3
NWFP
NWFP
13.54Billion Rupees
13.82 Billion Rupees
13.82 Billion Rupees
4
Baluchistan
Baluchistan
5.30 Billion Rupees
5.07 Billion Rupees
Source: Combined Finance and Revenue Accounts and Finance Division, Government. of Pakistan
Due to having no provincial autonomy, control and ownership of resources, distribution of NFC award on the population basis let us see where Sindh stands in terms of the social indicators:
Education:
8000 schools of Sindh are closed
3 out of 5 children aged between 5-9 do not go to school
Every 6 minutes 4 children quit the school for good
Overall literacy rate of Sindh is 51%
65% of urban population of Sindh is literate
35% of rural population of Sindh is literate
Asian Development Bank and Education Department, Government of Sindh
Health
Annual budget: 7590000000 (7.59 Billion Rs) - about 3% of provincial budget
The required number of doctors with reference to population: 30000
The number of doctors available in the Government. hospitals: 13000
Additional doctors required in government hospitals: 17000
Total number of government hospitals: 1366
No of hospital closed out of 1366: 50%
80% of hospitals have no specialist doctor available
60% of women are facing psychological/ psychiatric problems
53% of men are facing psychological/psychiatric problems
40% of province’s total population (42300000 - 42.3 million) is hepatitis positive
26% of population do not have access to drinkable water
58% of population has no sanitation facility
There are no medical superintendents in 25 Taluka headquarter hospitals of the province
The infant mortality rate ( new born mortality rate) is 95 per 1000 births
Every 20 minutes one woman dies due to the pregnancy or delivery related complications
64% of pregnant women give birth in hands of untrained medical staff
Only 38% children of the province are fully immunized.
Source: Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, Ministry of Health, Government of Sindh, and other resources
Employment / Unemployment:
5.07 Billion Rupees
Source: Combined Finance and Revenue Accounts and Finance Division, Government. of Pakistan
Due to having no provincial autonomy, control and ownership of resources, distribution of NFC award on the population basis let us see where Sindh stands in terms of the social indicators:
Education:
8000 schools of Sindh are closed
3 out of 5 children aged between 5-9 do not go to school
Every 6 minutes 4 children quit the school for good
Overall literacy rate of Sindh is 51%
65% of urban population of Sindh is literate
35% of rural population of Sindh is literate
Asian Development Bank and Education Department, Government of Sindh
Health
Annual budget: 7590000000 (7.59 Billion Rs) - about 3% of provincial budget
The required number of doctors with reference to population: 30000
The number of doctors available in the Government. hospitals: 13000
Additional doctors required in government hospitals: 17000
Total number of government hospitals: 1366
No of hospital closed out of 1366: 50%
80% of hospitals have no specialist doctor available
60% of women are facing psychological/ psychiatric problems
53% of men are facing psychological/psychiatric problems
40% of province’s total population (42300000 - 42.3 million) is hepatitis positive
26% of population do not have access to drinkable water
58% of population has no sanitation facility
There are no medical superintendents in 25 Taluka headquarter hospitals of the province
The infant mortality rate ( new born mortality rate) is 95 per 1000 births
Every 20 minutes one woman dies due to the pregnancy or delivery related complications
64% of pregnant women give birth in hands of untrained medical staff
Only 38% children of the province are fully immunized.
Source: Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, Ministry of Health, Government of Sindh, and other resources
Employment / Unemployment:
A minimum of 6% (approximately 2.05 million) of population of province is unemployed of which 25% are educated, graduate, postgraduate, engineers, doctors, accounting and management professionals.
Out of 3000 existing factories of province, only 50 factories belong to Sindhis and the 95% of employed labour is non-Sindhi.
Source: Journal of Third World Studies
The number of Sindhis in Federal Departments and the Armed Forces
5% of employees working in the federal departments are Sindhis.
There are only 2% Sindhis in armed forces of Pakistan
Only 3 Sindhis were working as federal secretaries as on 30/05/2008
Source: Journal of Third World Studies
Water shortage
Out of 3000 existing factories of province, only 50 factories belong to Sindhis and the 95% of employed labour is non-Sindhi.
Source: Journal of Third World Studies
The number of Sindhis in Federal Departments and the Armed Forces
5% of employees working in the federal departments are Sindhis.
There are only 2% Sindhis in armed forces of Pakistan
Only 3 Sindhis were working as federal secretaries as on 30/05/2008
Source: Journal of Third World Studies
Water shortage
Due to shortage of river water, the agriculture economy has lost 42 Billion rupees in four years time.
Source: Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC)
Lack of Investment
6 billion dollars (450 billion Rs) were invested in Pakistan in the last 5 years but industrial areas of Sindh have not benefited from this investment.
Source: SPDC and Chairman SITE, Karachi
Landless people
The 60% (2 million) of families living in the rural areas have no land.
The land holdings available to 26% rural families in Sindh is on average smaller than any where else in Pakistan.
Source: Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC)
Crimes (Year 2007)
Killings/Murder: 2167
Gang rape: 27
Attempt to murder: 3080
Kidnapping: 1654
Honour killings: 96
Kidnapping for money: 145
Severely injured (quarrel): 889
Children kidnapped: 136
Minor injuries (quarrel): 1823
Suicides: 195
In fights: 3077
Attempt to suicide: 4163
Attacks on police: 1258
Dacoits: 1495
Sexual abuse: 168
Robberies: 4505
Houses burglaries: 2127
Other crimes: 8904
Source: Sindh Police, Bureau of Police Research and Development, interior division, Islamabad
Absolute Poverty
50% of Sindh’s population (42.3 millions) is under poverty line and live a very miserable life. Sindh is target of injustice since the inception of Pakistan; whereas, in real sense Sindh is the creator of Pakistan. The rulers of Pakistan have enormously devastated Sindh by usurping its all resources. Here they use Islam, socialism, democracy and martial law as weapon to exploit Sindh. Military regimes have never ever given any relief to the people of Sindh which continue to occur even during so-called democratic governments.
Source: Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC)
Lack of Investment
6 billion dollars (450 billion Rs) were invested in Pakistan in the last 5 years but industrial areas of Sindh have not benefited from this investment.
Source: SPDC and Chairman SITE, Karachi
Landless people
The 60% (2 million) of families living in the rural areas have no land.
The land holdings available to 26% rural families in Sindh is on average smaller than any where else in Pakistan.
Source: Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC)
Crimes (Year 2007)
Killings/Murder: 2167
Gang rape: 27
Attempt to murder: 3080
Kidnapping: 1654
Honour killings: 96
Kidnapping for money: 145
Severely injured (quarrel): 889
Children kidnapped: 136
Minor injuries (quarrel): 1823
Suicides: 195
In fights: 3077
Attempt to suicide: 4163
Attacks on police: 1258
Dacoits: 1495
Sexual abuse: 168
Robberies: 4505
Houses burglaries: 2127
Other crimes: 8904
Source: Sindh Police, Bureau of Police Research and Development, interior division, Islamabad
Absolute Poverty
50% of Sindh’s population (42.3 millions) is under poverty line and live a very miserable life. Sindh is target of injustice since the inception of Pakistan; whereas, in real sense Sindh is the creator of Pakistan. The rulers of Pakistan have enormously devastated Sindh by usurping its all resources. Here they use Islam, socialism, democracy and martial law as weapon to exploit Sindh. Military regimes have never ever given any relief to the people of Sindh which continue to occur even during so-called democratic governments.
