Ayaz Amir is a serious writer and intellectual, perhaps the one and the only one, about whom so often in talk shows the other senior columnists, writers and anchors tell us they read him and await his writings. In these talk shows his old columns in Daily DAWN are so often mentioned.
2. Ayaz wonders if our Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be congratulated on the recent praises by the Egyptian Grand Mufti standing under the flags of Indian and Egypt for PM Modi for his efforts in forging harmony, unity and brotherhood amongst different religious beliefs in Indian. Giving by name examples how some of our Ministry Secretaries and Ambassadors never spoke with the callers including Ayaz himself, he raises a very pertinent point to ponder question answer to which, however, we know well will never come. He questions if any of our Ambassador in Egypt or our Foreign Affairs ever went to see Grand Mufti or invited him knowing well the top status of his.
3. It was sometime end 1980s when in his speech the Finance Minister presenting new budget, told the Parliamentarians and “live” the people of this country that in order to attract Overseas Pakistanis for more remittances, the Government had introduced Silver & Gold Remittances Cards on the basis of one’s annual remittances fetching incentives. Platinum Card was added later. One of the feature the parliamentarians and the nation heard was that the holders of these Cards would be invited by Pakistani Missions abroad in all their official functions. I am since more than forty years here, I never had this honour. I knew two pharmacists from my Organization regularly being the guests because they had access to costly medicines. A barber from my office had this honour because his kit was already to visit places needing haircut. And similar “high status” many more whereas I was on an important seat attached directly with the Minister concerned. One of my ex officer late B.J a well known figure, chairman of Pakistan Club, and ex army personnel, attached with supply job, once told me that one Ambassador once asked him two split air conditioners for sending Pakistan. BJ was a regular guest of such functions including dinners at visiting Pakistan Navy ships.
4. I held platinum card. I raised the issue why was I never invited. Too old age affected with -Covid attack aftermath might let me down in tracing but somewhere in my old junk is resting a response from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis which was just not a shame for this Pakistani but should be for all.
5. The response read that though in the budget this particular incentive was announced but the Ministry of Finance did not “approve” its implementation. What a shame, but not any surprise at all, that our democracy lover MPs who come in the House after spending too lot on elections are “fooled” in such a way and they feel no courage to speak why were they made fool. Nowhere in the world perhaps steps for new budget are announced but their approval from the concerned is needed and taken later. MPs approval of budget after debate is taken in the parliament only to show them “you have no value” sitting here.
6. Topic of 52 passengers going in the special flight for Haj including His Excellency the President. His Excellency’s staff has clarified that His Excellency paid for himself and his family. On his taking oath as President, as is usual with our every ruler, Asif Ali Zardar immediately flew for Haj with a full flight of his junkies. On uproar in the Parliament, it was announced that Asif Zardari paid travel and accommodation expenses all from his personal pocket. The newspapers were praise worthy on that and advised next comers to follow suit. It transpired later, again through some newspapers, that the travel was on Government expense while for accommodation in Saudi Arabia bills were paid from the Overseas Community Fund collected @ 10% from every one getting any consular service like passport, attestation etc from Pakistani Embassies abroad. MPs and even those praising editorials did not feel any shame later to open lips on this fooling.
7. Intellectual Ayaz Amir rightly says that since we the ordinary are not wearing imported branded suit, branded tie and a long pipe in our mouth, we deserve no response and be fooled ever.
2. Ayaz wonders if our Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be congratulated on the recent praises by the Egyptian Grand Mufti standing under the flags of Indian and Egypt for PM Modi for his efforts in forging harmony, unity and brotherhood amongst different religious beliefs in Indian. Giving by name examples how some of our Ministry Secretaries and Ambassadors never spoke with the callers including Ayaz himself, he raises a very pertinent point to ponder question answer to which, however, we know well will never come. He questions if any of our Ambassador in Egypt or our Foreign Affairs ever went to see Grand Mufti or invited him knowing well the top status of his.
3. It was sometime end 1980s when in his speech the Finance Minister presenting new budget, told the Parliamentarians and “live” the people of this country that in order to attract Overseas Pakistanis for more remittances, the Government had introduced Silver & Gold Remittances Cards on the basis of one’s annual remittances fetching incentives. Platinum Card was added later. One of the feature the parliamentarians and the nation heard was that the holders of these Cards would be invited by Pakistani Missions abroad in all their official functions. I am since more than forty years here, I never had this honour. I knew two pharmacists from my Organization regularly being the guests because they had access to costly medicines. A barber from my office had this honour because his kit was already to visit places needing haircut. And similar “high status” many more whereas I was on an important seat attached directly with the Minister concerned. One of my ex officer late B.J a well known figure, chairman of Pakistan Club, and ex army personnel, attached with supply job, once told me that one Ambassador once asked him two split air conditioners for sending Pakistan. BJ was a regular guest of such functions including dinners at visiting Pakistan Navy ships.
4. I held platinum card. I raised the issue why was I never invited. Too old age affected with -Covid attack aftermath might let me down in tracing but somewhere in my old junk is resting a response from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis which was just not a shame for this Pakistani but should be for all.
5. The response read that though in the budget this particular incentive was announced but the Ministry of Finance did not “approve” its implementation. What a shame, but not any surprise at all, that our democracy lover MPs who come in the House after spending too lot on elections are “fooled” in such a way and they feel no courage to speak why were they made fool. Nowhere in the world perhaps steps for new budget are announced but their approval from the concerned is needed and taken later. MPs approval of budget after debate is taken in the parliament only to show them “you have no value” sitting here.
6. Topic of 52 passengers going in the special flight for Haj including His Excellency the President. His Excellency’s staff has clarified that His Excellency paid for himself and his family. On his taking oath as President, as is usual with our every ruler, Asif Ali Zardar immediately flew for Haj with a full flight of his junkies. On uproar in the Parliament, it was announced that Asif Zardari paid travel and accommodation expenses all from his personal pocket. The newspapers were praise worthy on that and advised next comers to follow suit. It transpired later, again through some newspapers, that the travel was on Government expense while for accommodation in Saudi Arabia bills were paid from the Overseas Community Fund collected @ 10% from every one getting any consular service like passport, attestation etc from Pakistani Embassies abroad. MPs and even those praising editorials did not feel any shame later to open lips on this fooling.
7. Intellectual Ayaz Amir rightly says that since we the ordinary are not wearing imported branded suit, branded tie and a long pipe in our mouth, we deserve no response and be fooled ever.
