In a hot day of May 2011 in Islamabad, I was walking along the road at afternoon. I was feeling a need of a glass of chilled water or a cold drink. When I reached at Haidri chowk on the junction of F10 and F11, I found a Dhaba and got a cold drink to quench my thirst. The place was also relaxing, as I sit down on a chair beneath a tree. A sense of gratitude comes in my mind, as it was a good treat after a long walk in this type of weather and circumstances. In a bright sunny day, one gets a peace of mind when he finds a chair in between the trees with a cold drink.
Dhabas (Chappar Restaurants) are the culture of Islamabad, found on different green belts in posh areas. These Dhabas are fulfilling the needs of general public since on affordable rates since years. You can also found these Dhabas on the side skirts of universities and educational institutes as well. At my university time, I am used to take lunch or sometimes only tea along with my friends and university fellows at Dhabas present at the outer boundary of International Islamic University, Islamabad. It was our routine for five years. At that time, I never observed that these Dhabas are providing services seven days a week from early morning to late night.
Today, when I was taking a rest under a tree, the surrounding enviornment took me back at my university times, where we used to chitchat for hours with cups of tea. I was enjoying my past memories when I heard a noise from Dhaba counter, when I realized that the two policemen took their lunch with paying the cost. When the owner of the Dhaba protested on their behavior, the policemen blamed that he is responsible for the fire in grass of adjacent park last night and he should have to bear the cost. At last, The owner of the Dhaba offers them 400 Rs along with free meal and let them go for their official duty.
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| The burned grass of that area. |
After that I asked the owner, why he gives money to them? This little conversation gave me the answer that how these dhabas offer services with consistently, seven days a week. The owner told me that he belongs to Galiaat District Abbottabad. All the staff from cook to table man belongs to the same family. They are living here without there families in tough conditions. This Dhaba is a place of earning for them in day time and a place of living at night. They visit there homes after a month or so, in order to earn more money for there families. So they don’t want to create a clutter with police here. If they do so, it will be hazardous to them and their business as well. So it’s better to give some money to police twice a week.
On my further inquiry, he told me that he has to pay 21,000 Rs to CDA staff per month. It was an absolute wonder for me, may be this amount is not a big deal for a restaurant in Islamabad but the people who are familiar with Dhaba culture, they can well imagine this amount after analyzing the business activity of the Dhaba. The important thing in it is that, CDA staff is charging this fee only for land, the dhaba owner have to build the Dhaba at its own.
The owner told me that they can’t increases the prices because it will adversely affects their sales, so in order to bear this extra cost, they have to work more without any holidays. He further said that he is paying the cost of being a Pakistani. If he also belongs even to a third world country like Sri Lanka or Bangladesh than he could do his business without any interruptions and these policemen and CDA staff would pay respect to him.
Now, I realize that why it is so difficult to get even a clerical job in CDA. Job in CDA is considered to be working in a gold mine. I am talking about the unfair earnings only from Dhabas in Islamabad. There are so many other income generating projects of CDA staff in the capital. You can yourself imagine the income of the lower staff of CDA.
I have suggestions for government and CDA, one for each. CDA should legalize these Dhabas my making buildings in those areas for restaurants and shops and give to dhaba owners on rental basis.This will give security to dhaba’s business, earning to CDA, beauty for Islamabad in form of modern dhabas and reducing bribery and corruption culture in lower staff of CDA.
My suggestion for our so called democratic and public government is that, government should legalize corruption and bribery in the country. We all know that Pakistan has a poor tax collection structure. It will helps in more tax collections. When the income from corruption is declared legal and recorded, government will also collect more taxes. Hence a major portion of our national production and income will be recorded in GDP (gross domestic product) which is not included yet.I firmly believes it will boost the Pakistan’s economy like a ghauri missile. Than the current statement of Mian Nawaz Shariff will be justified that from now onwards Punjab will not take foreign loans. Remember, Mian Sahab pays only Rs 5000 tax annually as per their declared records. Also PPP is in federal government; definitely its contribution will throw in a major share towards boosting economy and in the supreme national interest.
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