I would like to ask the Secretary, National Tariff Commission, why has he placed a half page advertisement in all the national newspapers on April 6, 2015? To me it was announcement of a work done but that is their duty and not news, it could be newsworthy or the subject of an advertisement only if the government is not expected to fulfil any of its promises, and this was just a one-time act or if the fulfilment of this promise was not the responsibility of the three individuals, whose photographs appear in this advertisement and they had done the task voluntarily without any remuneration?
But if the above statements are not true, then the act of placing an advertisement, worth millions only reflects that the Secretary and his team are obsequious indulging in an unethical act to appease his bosses at the tax payers’ expense or the PM and the two ministers are forcing their subordinate to conduct their personal publicity by placing an unwarranted advertisement that also carries their photographs at the state expense. In a civilised country this whole team would have been sacked or made to pay for this act of boot licking.
As this is a case of shared guilt, one would expect the PM, his two ministers and the Secretary to collectively refund the amount to the national exchequer. Could this also be a moment of introspection for the never-learning ministers, bureaucracy and the newspapers to shun such unethical practices and use the tax payers’ money only for the benefit of the public and not for personal and political projections?
NAEEM SADIQ,
Lahore, April 6.