This is regarding the news published on Tuesday June 30 about hike in petroleum prices. The sole purpose of this price hike is to increase the government revenue. The measure would help pay for the lavish government expenditures that have to be financed through hard-earned income of the poverty-stricken masses. Purchase of new helicopters for ministers, extension of the cabinet, foreign junkets by hordes of ministers and MPs. There is, then, the matter of various 'royal squanderings' by our elected leaders in their palaces. All this has to be paid up by the people. This government believes in the adage of "higher the number, better it sounds". The high numbers on the inflation index, the high numbers of ministers in the cabinet and the high numbers of delegates on foreign tours all satisfy our rulers' craving for impressive numbers. -ALI AMMAR, Karachi, via e-mail, June 30.