Topic: White collar crime, corruption and Tax evasion in Pakistan
Abstract
This paper aims to critically analyze and explain one of the major types of crimes,
known as 'white collar crimes', which are practiced in today's world by many people, including those
from Pakistan. Here white-collar crimes such as Tax evasion and corruption will be subjected to the
majority of the discussion. This paper will firstly provide a 'literature review' of the resource materials
(articles, research papers etc ), and will discuss the importance, causes, and impacts of these crimes,
which are highlighted by the author/authors, particularly with regards to Pakistan. Moving on, this
paper will also highlight some of the possible solutions to such crimes as presented by the author, and
will also point out the limitations in the author's research, claims, and proposed solutions. ( Section I ).
After this analysis, this paper will use actual theories of Criminology to assess the causes of these
crimes, with reference to the social, economic, and political status of Pakistan. To conclude, this paper
will present some valid, sensible, and appropriate solutions to these crimes, which can help in
effectively reducing the frequency of such crimes in Pakistan. ( Section II )
A crime can be defined as 'any act which is deemed socially harmful and is thus,
prohibited and punishable according to the law'. Although there are many different types of crimes,
researches show that almost all of them can be distributed under two main categories, which are blue
collar crimes, and White-collar crimes. Simply put, Blue collar crimes are those crimes which are
usually motivated/fueled by emotion, anger, rage, passion etc, and are commonly ( but not always )
seen to be committed by those belonging to the lower class ( social class ). The most common
examples of such type of crimes include theft and assault, which result in the direct damage to people
and/or property. On the other hand, White collar crimes are those which in some sense “do not cause
direct damage to people or property, and are hence to some extent considered to be less-violent.”
, (Gottschalk. P (2017) ). It is also observed that white collar crimes are usually committed by those
belonging to the upper/elite class, many of which may also be deeply invested in the economy and
politics of the country. Some examples of white-collar crimes include, bank/corporate/security frauds,
embezzlement, money laundering, etc. Moreover, similar acts such as corruption and tax evasion also
fall in the domain of white-collar crimes, either directly or indirectly. Corruption can be simply defined
as 'the misuse of one's entrusted power, and using it for personal gain' ( www.transparency.org ). The
oxford dictionary defines corruption as “fraudulent and dishonest acts by those in power, and these acts
typically involve bribery” ( www.oed.com ). Tax evasion is the illegal non-payment or underpayment
of taxes, and such acts are committed deliberately to avoid paying taxes ( www.investopedia.com ). All
of these crimes are becoming increasingly popular and can be seen to be committed by people
belonging to different backgrounds as well as social classes (not specifically the elite class ). In today's
world it is seen that the frequency of white collar crimes is much greater than that of blue collar crimes,
mainly due to social, economical, political, and technological advancements, as well as the loopholes in
these systems.
Here a major question arises, 'that why do some people still commit crimes
(specifically white collar crimes ), despite all the advancements in lifestyle, law development, and the
overall increase in literacy rate’. White collar crimes are committed by those belonging to the upper
class, and usually people belonging to this class are also the most literate, as well as having better
lifestyles than the rest of the society. As per the research conducted ( by the authors ), the main
motivations/causes for committing white collar crimes include, no sense of social duty, lack of work
ethics, belief that such activities are not causing chaos or any major harm to the community or the
country, a sense of superiority ( which may be fueled by one's success/status ), a belief that everyone
commits the same crimes in one way or the other, lack of laws and implication of laws to control such
crimes, and easy bail for the elite. Pakistan is no stranger to such crimes, and many people/families,
especially those categorized as elite, feudal lords, landlords, capitalists, political figures, and even those
Abstract
This paper aims to critically analyze and explain one of the major types of crimes,
known as 'white collar crimes', which are practiced in today's world by many people, including those
from Pakistan. Here white-collar crimes such as Tax evasion and corruption will be subjected to the
majority of the discussion. This paper will firstly provide a 'literature review' of the resource materials
(articles, research papers etc ), and will discuss the importance, causes, and impacts of these crimes,
which are highlighted by the author/authors, particularly with regards to Pakistan. Moving on, this
paper will also highlight some of the possible solutions to such crimes as presented by the author, and
will also point out the limitations in the author's research, claims, and proposed solutions. ( Section I ).
After this analysis, this paper will use actual theories of Criminology to assess the causes of these
crimes, with reference to the social, economic, and political status of Pakistan. To conclude, this paper
will present some valid, sensible, and appropriate solutions to these crimes, which can help in
effectively reducing the frequency of such crimes in Pakistan. ( Section II )
A crime can be defined as 'any act which is deemed socially harmful and is thus,
prohibited and punishable according to the law'. Although there are many different types of crimes,
researches show that almost all of them can be distributed under two main categories, which are blue
collar crimes, and White-collar crimes. Simply put, Blue collar crimes are those crimes which are
usually motivated/fueled by emotion, anger, rage, passion etc, and are commonly ( but not always )
seen to be committed by those belonging to the lower class ( social class ). The most common
examples of such type of crimes include theft and assault, which result in the direct damage to people
and/or property. On the other hand, White collar crimes are those which in some sense “do not cause
direct damage to people or property, and are hence to some extent considered to be less-violent.”
, (Gottschalk. P (2017) ). It is also observed that white collar crimes are usually committed by those
belonging to the upper/elite class, many of which may also be deeply invested in the economy and
politics of the country. Some examples of white-collar crimes include, bank/corporate/security frauds,
embezzlement, money laundering, etc. Moreover, similar acts such as corruption and tax evasion also
fall in the domain of white-collar crimes, either directly or indirectly. Corruption can be simply defined
as 'the misuse of one's entrusted power, and using it for personal gain' ( www.transparency.org ). The
oxford dictionary defines corruption as “fraudulent and dishonest acts by those in power, and these acts
typically involve bribery” ( www.oed.com ). Tax evasion is the illegal non-payment or underpayment
of taxes, and such acts are committed deliberately to avoid paying taxes ( www.investopedia.com ). All
of these crimes are becoming increasingly popular and can be seen to be committed by people
belonging to different backgrounds as well as social classes (not specifically the elite class ). In today's
world it is seen that the frequency of white collar crimes is much greater than that of blue collar crimes,
mainly due to social, economical, political, and technological advancements, as well as the loopholes in
these systems.
Here a major question arises, 'that why do some people still commit crimes
(specifically white collar crimes ), despite all the advancements in lifestyle, law development, and the
overall increase in literacy rate’. White collar crimes are committed by those belonging to the upper
class, and usually people belonging to this class are also the most literate, as well as having better
lifestyles than the rest of the society. As per the research conducted ( by the authors ), the main
motivations/causes for committing white collar crimes include, no sense of social duty, lack of work
ethics, belief that such activities are not causing chaos or any major harm to the community or the
country, a sense of superiority ( which may be fueled by one's success/status ), a belief that everyone
commits the same crimes in one way or the other, lack of laws and implication of laws to control such
crimes, and easy bail for the elite. Pakistan is no stranger to such crimes, and many people/families,
especially those categorized as elite, feudal lords, landlords, capitalists, political figures, and even those
