Pampered MPs

One hears in astonishment the news that our poor parliamentarians’ emoluments are to be increased by a whopping 400 percent. What necessitates this hefty increase is anybody’s guess. I presume this is a bolt from the blue and much more than what the parliamentarians could even wish for.

We should try to better the lot of the teeming and hapless millions who cannot keep body and soul together, rather than pamper the elite. By all means, make an increase but in a manner that is commensurate with the increase in the salaries of other organs of the government, say the upper echelons of bureaucracy. The counter-arguments may be that in other countries the emoluments enjoyed are more than our legislators. If this be it, then do compare performance as well. In the present scenario, suffice it to say, “We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.”

Wing Commander (r) Jamshed Savul

Peshawar

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People elect politicians so they can make legislation while keeping the welfare of their electorate supreme. Unfortunately, they seem to be interested in the kind of legislation that benefits them the most.

The recent manifold increase in the salaries of parliamentarians will create a wedge between people and politicians, and lead to further loss of trust on them.

Wakeel Khan

Rawalpindi