Perks and privileges

The public outcry over the Punjab Assembly salary act compelled the PM to ask the provincial government to withdraw the bill. Whether or not the raise was justified, there are a few questions that must be discussed. Who started the move? And, did the provincial cabinet approve this summary before presenting it before the assembly? The answers to these questions will throw some light on the leadership of the province. It is being rightly pointed out that at a time when the poor are being badly hit by the unbearable increases in the cost of living, passing the bill was totally inappropriate. If anything, the assembly should have taken some decisions to protect the poor first. The chief minister of the province who hails from a less-developed area should have been more sensitive to the increase in the perks being recommended. Regardless of what one may say regarding the intervention of the PM in the face of the 18th Amendment, his reaction ought to be appreciated. The PM must also worry about the quality of governance in the province. Simplicity alone can not be the qualification of putting someone into a position requiring economic wisdom and administrative experience.

Dr Zafar I Qureshi

Lahore