Pakistan's suffering millions join in ever increasing numbers in the ranks of those living below the poverty line while the state apparatus feeds them with phony pep talk. The Benazir Poverty Reduction Programme is just an interim, short-term relief, not a solution. The long-term solution lies in putting our economy back on track, imposing direct taxation on the wealthy and restoring confidence of the people in government and judiciary through transparent accountability to actually contain the curse of corruption. Pakistan suffers because a group of feudal turncoats whose sole claim to fame is either their ill-gotten ancestral wealth or their willingness to join every bandwagon, which heads for Islamabad. They hailed Musharraf as a champion of liberalism or 'enlightened moderation', whatever that means, while minting tax-free billions. Ever ready to indulge in insider trading at the stock exchange or join in the ranks of real estate gobblers, they deprived pensioners, orphans and widows of their lands, dignity and living. Today they all hail the new tenant at the Presidency, just as they did the previous one and will do the next one who occupies it. Pakistan's suffering millions will continue to suffer, either till providence intervenes or they stand up and fight for themselves. -SHAHZAD KHALIL, Sialkot, via e-mail, January 22.