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Friday April 26, 2024

Responsible rulers?

Our political culture lacks the tradition to accept responsibility while in authority and our rulers – dictators or civilians garbed in democracy – do what pleases them without any fear of accountability or retribution. This is evident from the heatwave tragedy that has consumed over 1200 lives in Karachi. The

By our correspondents
June 30, 2015
Our political culture lacks the tradition to accept responsibility while in authority and our rulers – dictators or civilians garbed in democracy – do what pleases them without any fear of accountability or retribution. This is evident from the heatwave tragedy that has consumed over 1200 lives in Karachi. The federal and provincial chief executives and their cabinet members, instead of bearing the responsibility and resigning from their position, seem to find incredible excuses.
When a ferry carrying some 400 people sank at sea in South Korea, its prime minister immediately resigned, expressing that though he was not steering the ship himself, yet he felt his moral duty to accept the responsibility and quit. In contrast our rulers hide behind the argument that it was a natural phenomenon. No one can deny or dispute this stance. Yet if government functionaries had been quick to provide medical aid to the victims many precious lives could have been saved. The need to accept responsibility, plug shortcomings in governance or quit the stage and set a good example for others to follow.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad