Prime Ministers first broadcast I found somewhat blas and too self-adulatory. Instead of addressing some of the current issues, he sought to sing praises of his governments achievements. Yes he could take credit for a few positive steps like restoration of judiciary (if he really did that). Amazing, though, that he actually did some self -eulogizing he used the words making great progress-on turning the economy round. That must have been his idea of a joke. With the record of his government as it is, how could he claim to have achieved what this government had set out to do in the last two years? One wonders if he is aware at all of the facts on ground. Has the poverty decreased? Is there a decline in inequality between incomes? Is unemployment decreasing? Are prices of essential commodities coming down? With petrol, diesel, gas and electricity rates surging, can the common man cope with the rising cost of living? Has there been a dramatic increase in the rate of economic growth that somehow escaped all of us? Has the foreign investment increased a bit from being insignificant? By drastically cutting down public development expenditure, how can we hope to keep up with even the current, most inadequate, allocations for health, education and infrastructure? By adding what his government has to our foreign loans and submitting to IMF-specified constraints, are we building up a great future for our overburdened masses? After hearing the PM on radio, it looked that he was not at aware of what is happening in 'his country. -TEHMINA PIRZADA, Lahore, March 20.