Bad governance seems to be the order of the day. Due to sheer financial indiscipline, the government is borrowing Rs3 billion daily from the State Bank resulting in a continuous sharp decline in the value of the rupee.
Those who already live on the edge, which is a majority of our population, are being pushed below the poverty line. Only the super rich such as bribe-taker bureaucrats, dacoits, tax-thieves, hostage-takers and public exchequer looters are immune to poverty while most of the population thirsts for food, water, and electricity.
Recently, billions of rupees of people’s money were spent to buy senate loyalties. Unqualified, incompetent and corrupt personnel have been appointed as heads of the semi-autonomous corporations including PIA, Railways, Steel Mills, WAPDA, etc which are continuously being bled to fill the private coffers of the rulers. Thousands of surplus workers have been inducted into these corporations on political grounds hastening their descent into bankruptcy.
Just take the example of one top ruler of the country who just before the last elections was about to be arrested for default of billions but has now turned into a billionaire after 4 years in power. The secret funds which run into billions are freely being misappropriated as they are above any accountability.
The people are also suffering because the National Accountability Bureau has been neutered and the new laws of accountability stand thwarted in the national assembly. There is no Wafaqi Mohtesib as the government is deliberately avoiding appointing anyone to this post lying vacant for the last few years. Thus, all the institutions of accountability stand paralysed while the rulers continue to plunder unabated.
ABDUL KARIM
Muzaffargarh
