In every discussion or address, the rulers or the leaders of the ruling party harp on one sentence to justify their rule till 2013: The nation has given us a five-year mandate to rule the country in the last elections held in 2008″. Either I misunderstand the meaning of “mandate” or the rulers are bluffing the nation. It is a term that implies the trust of the voters confided to a political partys manifesto. It does not give the party the assurance to rule the country till next elections or for any period. If the party coming into power fails to follow their mandate for which the masses voted them to power, another election can be asked by the voters before completing their term.
The present government has done nothing for the people, especially for the poor masses. Even the middle and lower middle classes are finding it hard to survive with no control on prices, high inflation rate, poor law and order situation, no jobs, factories shut down due to load-shedding resulting into laying off the labour, frequent strikes, poor health and education facilities and rampant corruption in every department.
On top of every thing, the present government is making judiciary ineffective by not implementing their decisions and directions. Under such circumstances, should the suppressed masses wait till the government completes its full five years? No credible and result oriented welfare project has been launched. Many really poor people dont know anything about such a programme. The government can re-establish welfare homes for such people where they can learn some profession and get free food. This would also finish the social evil of beggary in our country.
MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA
Lahore
