His Excellency Mr. Asad Umar, September 06, 2018
Minister for Finance, Revenue & Economy,
Government of Pakistan,
Islamaad.
Your Excellency,
His Excellency Mr. Imran Khan, our new Prime Minister, in his first address to the nation, among other things, pinned his high hopes to the Overseas Pakistanis (OPs). He appealed the OPs to keep their money in Pakistan. He disclosed his government was to issue dollar bonds for the OPs. What had practically been happening duringمجھے کیوں نکالا؟ era, same most expectantly would happen during today’s Rs 55 a mile helicopter ride era.
2. Early 1980s I came to Bahrain. It was "جب آتش جوان تھا" but this Pakistani was then a fool. I realized lower middle class Pakistanis generally had no awareness to keep their savings in their own native country. I started convincing them to open Accounts in Pakistan. I found the Pakistani Banks in Bahrain had no Forms for opening accounts in Pakistan. To cut short HBL and UBL Head Offices were very kind in sending me in bulk account opening Forms. Some of their senior staff can still verify this. Despite, then, my meager salary I spent myself on paper work, costly postage etc for this purpose. Incidentally, closure of BCCI helped me a lot in convincing. To my memories around 1700 to 2000 plus minus Accounts mostly with HBL and the National Savings and a little with UBL in Pakistan were thus opened. Completed application forms were sent to Banks in Pakistan by post mail, accounts opened and cheque books received back by post.
3. There are Pakistanis having long gone back to Pakistan but still remembering me with their prayers. For an example, Muhammad Khan, doing then cleaning job here. Due to his joining National Savings, today he owns 2-3 wagons plying between Sialkot and surrounding villages. Hundreds of families are enjoying from monthly income schemes etc.
4. After 1992, this fool got matured and stopped this “hobby” as trust on the Governments of the time started fading. Late 1990s, however, an unannounced policy was adopted to discourage Pakistanis from having Accounts in Pakistan. As the need for “sending syphoning out money abroad through Ayans, re-routed back under home-remittances for tax exemptions” increased, opening of bank accounts by OPs was totally stopped except by Ishaq Dars.
5. I have my account with Habib Bank, Samanabad, Karachi since 1983. During these 35 years, I can’t recall how many times I sent to Branch my new cheque book requisition from Bahrain by mail and in return got new cheque books by mail sitting here issue. Earlier 20-25 years I used frequent cheque issuing for payment of utility bills, development charges, family disbursement etc.
6. Recently HBL has refused to send me new Cheque Book on the ground that it can’t be sent on my “international address”. Thus I will only be able to operate my account when after a year or two I next visit Pakistan and collect my cheque book from there. In simple words the Banking in my own native home has been banned for me and the Overseas Pakistanis while Imran Khan asks us to keep our money in accounts in Pakistan. What for? To get the money blocked for want of cheque books to be collected personally on next visit to Pakistan?
7. While this piece is being scribbled, on TV screen four most senior Anchors are debating HE the PM’s meeting with these senior anchors and journalists. All these four were unanimous in their observing that the PM was not aware of many hot issues when the Information Minister appreciably had to update him during the meeting. Your Excellency, this old man is more than confident that none of the “زکوٹا جن“ sitting in your Ministry and “wizards” around you, will ever apprise you about “OPs vs cheque books” and that OPs can’t open their accounts in Pakistan. And of course, nothing good, practically, would come except similar lip service as was done by the heavy mandated PM and “zakootas” under him in the Finance Ministry.
Renewing, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest regards,
Muhammad Javed
Minister for Finance, Revenue & Economy,
Government of Pakistan,
Islamaad.
Your Excellency,
His Excellency Mr. Imran Khan, our new Prime Minister, in his first address to the nation, among other things, pinned his high hopes to the Overseas Pakistanis (OPs). He appealed the OPs to keep their money in Pakistan. He disclosed his government was to issue dollar bonds for the OPs. What had practically been happening duringمجھے کیوں نکالا؟ era, same most expectantly would happen during today’s Rs 55 a mile helicopter ride era.
2. Early 1980s I came to Bahrain. It was "جب آتش جوان تھا" but this Pakistani was then a fool. I realized lower middle class Pakistanis generally had no awareness to keep their savings in their own native country. I started convincing them to open Accounts in Pakistan. I found the Pakistani Banks in Bahrain had no Forms for opening accounts in Pakistan. To cut short HBL and UBL Head Offices were very kind in sending me in bulk account opening Forms. Some of their senior staff can still verify this. Despite, then, my meager salary I spent myself on paper work, costly postage etc for this purpose. Incidentally, closure of BCCI helped me a lot in convincing. To my memories around 1700 to 2000 plus minus Accounts mostly with HBL and the National Savings and a little with UBL in Pakistan were thus opened. Completed application forms were sent to Banks in Pakistan by post mail, accounts opened and cheque books received back by post.
3. There are Pakistanis having long gone back to Pakistan but still remembering me with their prayers. For an example, Muhammad Khan, doing then cleaning job here. Due to his joining National Savings, today he owns 2-3 wagons plying between Sialkot and surrounding villages. Hundreds of families are enjoying from monthly income schemes etc.
4. After 1992, this fool got matured and stopped this “hobby” as trust on the Governments of the time started fading. Late 1990s, however, an unannounced policy was adopted to discourage Pakistanis from having Accounts in Pakistan. As the need for “sending syphoning out money abroad through Ayans, re-routed back under home-remittances for tax exemptions” increased, opening of bank accounts by OPs was totally stopped except by Ishaq Dars.
5. I have my account with Habib Bank, Samanabad, Karachi since 1983. During these 35 years, I can’t recall how many times I sent to Branch my new cheque book requisition from Bahrain by mail and in return got new cheque books by mail sitting here issue. Earlier 20-25 years I used frequent cheque issuing for payment of utility bills, development charges, family disbursement etc.
6. Recently HBL has refused to send me new Cheque Book on the ground that it can’t be sent on my “international address”. Thus I will only be able to operate my account when after a year or two I next visit Pakistan and collect my cheque book from there. In simple words the Banking in my own native home has been banned for me and the Overseas Pakistanis while Imran Khan asks us to keep our money in accounts in Pakistan. What for? To get the money blocked for want of cheque books to be collected personally on next visit to Pakistan?
7. While this piece is being scribbled, on TV screen four most senior Anchors are debating HE the PM’s meeting with these senior anchors and journalists. All these four were unanimous in their observing that the PM was not aware of many hot issues when the Information Minister appreciably had to update him during the meeting. Your Excellency, this old man is more than confident that none of the “زکوٹا جن“ sitting in your Ministry and “wizards” around you, will ever apprise you about “OPs vs cheque books” and that OPs can’t open their accounts in Pakistan. And of course, nothing good, practically, would come except similar lip service as was done by the heavy mandated PM and “zakootas” under him in the Finance Ministry.
Renewing, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest regards,
Muhammad Javed
