On average an election campaign for the seat of an MPA costs 30 million rupees, and still a win isn’t guaranteed. The candidate disburses all this money from his own pocket thus has immense value for it. For some that 30 million opens doors of mastery, for some it earns them respect and for most it multiplies in its original form.
They reimburse their pockets by burdening the patwaris, inspectors, tax collectors and other officials of their area, who collect bribes from the poor civilians putting them into hassle and anxiety just so their boss, the elected MPA could compensate his own bank balance. This not only makes the system corrupt but also the masses hopeless and insecure, demanding a major remodeling of the system.
AHMAD HASAN
Lahore
