The two major parties PML-N and PTI faced humiliating defeats in two of three by-elections conducted in Punjab on 11 October 2015. Both need to analyze their shortcomings, and address real issues that confront common citizens of Pakistan and its youth, who neither have access to education, health, clean drinking water, nor employment or security of life and property.
PTI must be seen to be actively participating in parliament discussing real issues and be proactive in various parliamentary committees and hold press conferences only to expose financial scams and wrongdoings, instead of this “Dhandli” obsession and holding “dharnas”. PML-N must wake up because people denied employment, nor schools or hospitals for their children, neither clean drinking water or unadulterated food, and police playing role of villains instead of serving them, cannot be expected to vote for it just because of Metro or roads. Traders resorting to hoarding and black-marketing or involved in heinous crimes of supplying or manufacturing fake drugs, cooking oil and adulterated food must be prosecuted, not facilitated in tax evasion.
The disconnect between ruling elite and people has widened and now they don’t even celebrate Eid in Pakistan. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had all time in world for foreign tours, but could not spare few hours visiting his constituency. In a democracy people elect public office holders to serve them, not become property tycoons, land developers, form sugar cartels or acquire LPG quotas, nor to become tax evading billionaires, and do not expect them to behave like emperors and their children acting like princes.
Leadership of both PML(N) and PPP have had their business empires expand because of good management and employing qualified people to run them, but when it comes to state owned enterprises and regulatory agencies like PSO, PSM, PIA, CAA, State Bank, National Bank, SNGPL, OGRA CCP etc, they are seen appointing cronies and men with history of financial impropriety having no stakes in this country, because their assets and families are located out of Pakistan. How can PM justify appointing a foreign passport holder to serve as an Ambassador of Pakistan to Morroco, who has diplomatic credentials, and has pledged his loyalty and revoked his allegiance to Pakistan while taking oath of citizenship of UK?
ANEELA CHANDIO,
Sukkur, October 14.