Our state coffers are famously empty when it comes to catering to the common man – be it the matter of giving the public servants a raise in their salaries at the time of the annual budget; making allocations for health and education; providing even a negligible relief from the unbearable power tariff and petrol prices; launching any public welfare programme; or any other similar measure. Remember what Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had recently stated? The finance czar, during a Question Hour session in the National Assembly, made it categorically clear that "at present, no proposal is under consideration of the government for substantial rise of pensions of Federal Government employees in the next financial year." Obviously, due to empty coffers!
However, the same "empty" coffers are ever ready to spew huge sums for the ruling elite – the very fraternity that the FM belongs to. Just last week, the salaries of federal ministers and ministers of state have been notified to increase Rs519,000 per month from Rs200,000 and Rs180,000 respectively. So urgent was the need for this raise – of 160-180 per cent, applicable from January – that the President of Pakistan had to issue an ordinance to this effect. The salaries of the mentioned ministers now match the salaries of MNAs and senators which had been raised by 175% this past February.
It's audacity at its appalling best that the custodians of state coffers themselves cannot wait to clinch their pound of flesh, right in the middle of a serious economic crisis – while the masses continue to make sacrifices for the national cause. Shouldn't our elected representatives lead by example. Shouldn't they have avoided accepting the mentioned benefits and preferred being seen standing among the general public?
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