It seems that in Pakistan not only the higher levels of government fail to work for the people, but the lower levels are also equally complacent.

For example, the Punjab government issues the price lists of various essential items to ensure the availability of necessities at reasonable prices. The idea sounds great, but it is nothing more than a farce. The government fails in so many ways to implement prices. I remember a long time back in the early eighties, the local governments in the country introducing the system of ‘khidmat committees’ to control prices, but they were never able to achieve what they were set out to.

The local governments headed by the mayor could not manage affairs efficiently. Like all major cities, Rawalpindi has been facing acute water shortages since the eighties. The mayor at that time, a person close to the all-powerful president of the time, promised to bring water from the Khanpur dam, but it was nothing but words and claims. Later, the democratic government that sprang from general elections held by the dictator also failed to fulfil the wishes of the public.

This cycle goes on while we see transitions from democratic governments to dictatorships and then back to democracy. One thing that seems constant is the inability of our systems to work for the welfare of the people, whose misery tends to worsen by the day. The claims of our leaders are mere slogans to fool people for the selfish purpose of keeping power.

RAJA SHAFAATULLAH,

Islamabad.