US-Iran ceasefire: Pakistan's finest hour

Pakistan succeeded in persuading both US and Iran to agree to a two-week ceasefire and hold talks in Islamabad. This will definitely cause Modi many sleepless nights, as Pakistan is on the world stage now because it was able to defeat India in the "Operation Sindoor" air war last year (which most Hindutva terrorist Indians still refuse to concede). Another loser is Imran Khan and his cult followers, who openly mocked Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir when they were reported to be trying to mediate between the two warring countries.

Both the US and Iran claimed to have won, but to most impartial observers, Iran has come out on top. It was able to fight for forty days, inflicting colossal damage to Israel and its Gulf allies. It proved that the US is no longer the superpower it claims to be. 

But the one who lost the most face is President Donald Trump, who until yesterday was warning that he would bomb Iran back into the Stone Age if it did not agree to his demands. "A whole civilization will disappear tonight", he warned. Iran did not flinch. I admire Iran's leadership for its victory. It has saved the Muslim world from being taken over by the Zionists.

Why did 77 million Americans vote for a sociopath like Trump?

It's often been said that democracy is the best system. But that doesn't explain why pedophiles and killers like Trump and Netanyahu get elected (Modi is another psychopath who should have been strangled at birth). And let's not forget that a megalomaniac like Hitler was also elected democratically.

So why should most countries of the planet stick to democracy? Trump's latest antics prove that he's a danger to the world. This man is obviously demented, as his tweet yesterday proves. He threatened Iran with total annihilation if it did not open the Strait of Hormuz. He used the common four-letter word indiscriminately used by illiterate people. But the surprising thing is that he even wrote "Allah be praised" in the same tweet. And this too on one of the holiest days in Christendom (Easter Sunday). No wonder Bernie Sanders and many others have called him crazy. He should not be trusted with the nuclear button. In fact, he should be put in a mental asylum before he does any more damage.

 

Trump and Netanyahu should be tried as war criminals

The Iranian government should demand that Trump and Netanyahu should be tried and sentenced as war criminals by the International Court of Justice. This is the only way psychopaths like them will be prevented from wrecking the world economy and causing immense damage to the environment.

The whole world is suffering because of the antics of these two mentally deranged fanatics. Every country on the planet has seen massive increases in fuel prices. Pakistan is no exception. Yesterday, petrol and diesel prices were again increased substantially. Trump had every opportunity to reverse course and declare an end to the war on Iran. Apparently he wants his friends to become billionaires. His speeches have caused oil prices to spike and share prices to stumble. Some people have earned billions from betting. 

The saddest thing of all is that Trump was manipulated by Netanyahu into declaring war on Iran. The Western nations should realize that the problem is Israel's Zionists, not Iran. But unfortunately that is not likely to happen soon.

Pakistan shoild not mediate

Even though Pakistan has received a lot of favorable attention from the warring nations, I believe it should not have offered to mediate. The reason, of course, is that Trump cannot be trusted. He tore up the agreement between Iran and Obama, he attacked Iran (twice) while negotiations were in progress in Oman, and now, he keeps lying about ceasefire with Iran, while sending troops to the region. Chances are, he will order an invasion of Iran while talks to stop the war are in progress.

Another thing: even if the talks are successful, can anyone say with certainty that Trump and Netanyahu will stick to the terms of the agreement? I strongly doubt it. The UN is powerless to do anything if the perpetrators are strong (like the US and Israel). There have been many resolutions to resolve the Kashmir dispute, but the impotent UN can only look on. A strong UN would have sanctioned India, the US and Israel, but that is impossible. So, as I said, Pakistan should stay out of it.

Arabs will be the real losers in this war

I have a horrible feeling that the current war will lead to the end of the world. Both the pedophile (Trump) and the mass Muslim killer (Netanyahoo) are crazy and there's nothing they will not do to save themselves. They might even use nukes to silence Iran.

Whatever happens, the poor Arabs will be the losers. If Iran wins, it will ask them for reparations caused by attacks by the US. The US is already demanding five trillion dollars to continue the war, and half that amount to end it. The Arabs are in a Catch-22 type of situation. The UAE, in particular, will be the hardest hit. No longer will its residents proudly claim that it's the best place on earth. They will have to endure years of hardship like we have done. Power blackouts and water and food shortages will be the norm, unless of course the war ends immediately. Even then, as I said, a big chunk of its income will go to the US or Iran, assuming that it remains the tourist hub it used to be, which is doubtful.

But if this turns out to be a world war, humans will probably become extinct. Which will be a good thing for the planet. 

Cashless economy

Published in Dawn on March 15, 2026

THIS refers to the letter ‘Documented economy’ (Feb 23). For obvious reasons, our tax-evading traders, smugglers and other such ‘nation-lovers’ will strongly resist the introduction of a cashless economy. It will surprise the tax collectors to know that there are restaurants in posh areas that have banners showing ‘cash only’ and ‘credit/debit cards not accepted’ announcements. In such cases, the only thing is for tax inspectors to raid such places and seal them.

However, in malls, supermarkets and registered outlets, the government can impose a surcharge on cash payments above Rs2,000, thus increasing its revenue and also encouraging people to pay by credit or debit cards. Payment of utility bills by cheques or through online apps should be encouraged.

People buy groceries worth more than Rs20,000 at a time. Such people will not at all mind paying extra if they are charged five per cent more by the government.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi 

https://www.dawn.com/news/1982278/cashless-economy

I've always hated extremists, so why do I support Iran?

Ever since I was a boy of ten, I've been suspicious of those who are, or pretend to be, deeply religious. A relative of mine one day stopped shaving and turned into a fanatic. He would take money from people, then pretend to be violently sick, or disappear. Once he was recovered after more than two years from a town five hundred miles away. People thought he was mad, but sometimes it was evident that he was acting. He's dead now, so I'll never know the truth.

When the clerics took over Iran, I hated them. I believed that they would kill their opponents, suppress their women and turn the country into a living hell. Of course some of all this did happen. But it's also a fact that they turned Iran into a welfare state (petrol was so cheap that some of it was smuggled into Pakistan). Women were forced to wear the all-enveloping burqa, but surprisingly Iran has more educated women than in most Islamic countries. 

But the main reason I support the regime in Iran is that it has successfully resisted the US and Israel for more than forty years. Despite decades of sanctions, it's managed to fight a war with the two evil countries and in ten days it has survived the bombs and missiles rained upon it. Trump seems to have concluded that the war is unwinnable, so he's talking about a cease-fire. Even though Iran has lost much, it has the potential to become the region's super power. The Zionists will never be able to strike Iran again.

Iran says it will no longer attack its neighbors

It's only a week since its leadership was killed and Iran caused havoc in the region. Even today it attacked Dubai airport. But suddenly, it announced that attacks on its neighbors will stop. What is the reason for this change? The only reason I can think of is that the neighbors must have begged for a chance to return to normal, maybe they even promised to ask the US not to launch attacks on Iran from their territories.

Whatever the reason, for the next six months at least, Dubai and other cities in the region will no longer be the same as they were before the war. Dubai, particularly, is an artificial entity, being a major financial centre. The foreigners who had bought property and were doing business there due to zero income tax will no longer want to continue. Most of them have probably left, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to get out of the war-torn region. Hong Kong and Singapore will probably regain their earlier reputations as major financial hubs. 

The population of the GCC countries are bound to demand explanations from their governments for putting them at risk. Why did the UAE get too friendly with Israel is something its leaders will have to explain. It's going to be a tough six months for the sheikhs and princes. 

Israel fools the US into another war

Israel finally got what it wanted: a war between the US and Iran. But it will have to pay dearly. Even though negotiations between the US and Iran were practically concluded, with Iran agreeing to most demands, Israel forced Trump to attack Iran, killing its top leadership (including the Supreme Leader Khamenei). 

What Israel and Trump hadn't taken into account was the fact that its allies would be directly in the line of fire. It's been three days since the war started, and there is panic in Dubai and other states in the region. Foreigners in the UAE are reportedly paying 300,000 dollars to escape to Saudi Arabia by car. If the war lasts another two weeks, food shortage in Dubai may cause riots (as most of its food is imported).It will take many months for things to return to normal, but one thing is certain now: Westerners will never regard the region as a safe haven. Cities like Dubai, Doha and Bahrain will no longer be the favored destinations for Europeans.

With oil prices predicted to soar to 200 dollars a barrel, the future looks bleak. Inflation could hit the US, and Trump's party will be soundly beaten in the mid-term elections in November. I hope Trump is booted out and impeached for his crimes.

Difference between Pakistani & Indian tax collectors

Issues of tax and trust

Published in Dawn, February 26, 2026

THIS is with reference to the editorial ‘Lavish lifestyles’ (Jan 30), which reminded me of what happened to a Pakistani who had gone to India and set up a business there. In a couple of months, he had saved enough to buy a motorcycle. The subsequent week, he got a notice from the tax department, asking him to explain the means with which he had managed to buy the motorcycle. Of course, the man returned to Pakistan. I remember his remark. “In Pakistan, no one is bothered if you buy 10 luxury vehicles, but over there, you spend Rs25,000 on a motorcycle and the government pounces upon you.”

Perhaps this is the difference between our tax collectors and those across the border. Recently, a dumper truck driver returned illegally earned Rs4 billion to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Why the tax authorities were not able to detect this huge amount looted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)?

There used to be a time when we had an efficient anti-corruption department to whom the common man could confidently report. Unfortunately, people seem to have lost trust in it, perhaps due to fears of their names being divulged to the tax thieves.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

https://www.dawn.com/news/1975842/issues-of-tax-and-trust