The first accomplishment of our federal minister for Pakistan Post - the valiant defender of the belief that burying alive of Pakistani women is healthy for the society - was to place a half-page, coloured advertisement in all national newspapers (on December 09, 2008). This advert, that is estimated to have set back the national exchequer by Rs 2 million, should be preserved in the national museum for future generations to learn about the way to do personal publicity at the expense of taxpayer. This half-page glory has large portraits of his mentors Mr Zardari & Gilani, along with master Bilawal and the minister himself. The heading under these portraits reads "The Nation's Pride" - no pun intended. There are two yet more noble-sounding clichs at the bottom; "Living for humanity, dying for peace", which one finds very difficult to relate to this postal department advertisement. The issue is not so much the absurdity of this advert as is that how our rulers use national resources to carry out personal image building. The ordinary people would rightfully demand that the government should not be allowed to place such wasteful adverts in the media. No pictures of government employees, politicians - and worse of all - their children, should be a part of any ads paid by the taxpayers' money. Specific, relevant, useful information to the public should be the only reason why government may place an ad. -NAEEM SADIQ, Karachi, via e-mail, December 10.