Before the Chief Minister Punjab embarks upon his plan to tax the rich by imposing huge property tax on them, he had better demonstrate to the public that his government believed in austerity and that there were neither freeloaders nor thieving bureaucrats in it. Whenever any government falls short of cash, its mandarins devise novel methods to extort money from the public.
Will Shahbaz Sharif announce how many ministers, state ministers, and parliamentary secretaries his government has? What are their salaries, perks and benefits, such as free electricity, travel allowance, vehicles in their use and in the use of their families? How many vehicles does the CM himself use?
Top layer that rules the country, including the sacred khakis, do not appear to belong to this nation living on crumbs. Watch their goings and comings. They look and behave like little Sheikhs of oil-rich kingdoms. The CM has no idea about the pent up feelings of the public against its rulers. The public thinks the rulers are remnants of the Raj, who speak wrong English fluently. Will he spare us the agony? Mr Sharif should not take this piece in jest; he should introspect deeply before he makes decisions.
MIRZA TUFTAN BAIG
Lahore