This letter refers to the article ‘Our collective callousness’ (September 28, 2022) by Abdul Sattar. The article has rightly called-out the callousness of our politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen, and others in positions of authority and power. However, the article has spared the people who, through their apathy, embolden these exploiters by giving them a sense of untouchability. The problem is that even after 75 years, we have failed to develop into a nation, much less a conscientious nation prepared to stand up and protest extreme exploitation.
There won’t be many countries in the world where we would see someone declared an absconder by an accountability court, return to the country five years and, after bypassing all institutions, attain the vaunted position of finance minister. This former absconder has replaced a man of integrity in Miftah Ismail, and yet, there appear to be no signs of dismay or protest among the people.
SRH Hashmi
Karachi