This refers to the article 'Misnomers of a welfare state '(Oct 25) by Amir Hussain. The writer has rightly asserted that the ambiguous concepts of welfare are not uncommon. The focus of the government should be to fund subsidiaries and support social protection. Charities are not within the domain of a government.
As per a Chinese saying, it is better to provide a fishing rod rather than distribute the fish. The prerequisite of a welfare state is that the economy is in good shape. In view of the current state of the economy, the priority of the government should be on basic food item prices and healthcare followed by other welfare sectors.
Dr Najeeb A Khan
Islamabad