A game of numbers

The game of numbers comes to the screen every year when the political elite sit on the plush seats of Parliament House to decide the fate of millions of citizens. While budget is a fiscal document meant to for social welfare and all that jazz, I honestly feel I should care less. Not because I am not patriotic, but because I am too patriotic.

It pains me to see that year after year the politicians play with the sentiments of the masses by giving priority to their own interests. While public welfare is the apparent interest, did anyone ask the political elite who is there to listen to the voice of the old man who has four daughters but no money for their marriage? Who is there to feel the pain of a farmer who has no means to provide basic necessities of life to his kids? Who is there to give justice to people against land mafia system? None of them, apparently. The reason behind this tell-tale of pathos is corruption among the political elite.

Prices of basic commodities have gone higher and skyrocketed. Commodities like milk, tensile, wheat, vegetables etc have increased in their market price. Has anyone asked Dar sahib why millions of rupees have been given to the defence and security of the Chinese people? It might be a security measure but on the contrary the people of our own country are dying from starvation. The incident of Thar deaths happened not long ago. Little relief was given to the government employees by increasing salaries to 7.5 per cent but the government added to the agony by increasing the burden of taxation. Let’s not forget that we are a country where majority of the taxpayers are salaried individuals whose tax is deducted at source.

According to famous psychologist Abraham Maslow people can attain the level of self-actualisation only after their basic needs e.g., food, shelter etc are fulfilled. But unfortunately masses in Pakistan are deprived of their fundamental rights. While the ruling elite might portray themselves to be poor-friendly, it was evident that it was a rich man’s budget. Like every other government it failed to address the problems that exist at grass-root level but it fooled the masses again.

SADIA AHMED

Lahore