High rewards

Government spent its last five hours gorging on the national exchequer and did nothing to improve the country.

The government seems determined to leave office in as undignified a manner as possible. On the final day before the National Assembly was to be dissolved, the interior ministry gave Rehman Malik and all his predecessors who did not serve under a dictator with the Constitution in abeyance, perks for the rest of their lives. The benefits Mr Malik has awarded himself include protocol at airports to be provided to himself and his family by the Federal Investigation Agency and personal staff to be given by NADRA. The Sindh Assembly, in what is likely to be its last session, outdid even Mr Malik by voting itself an increase in salary of up to 60 per cent, backdated to 2011 and several existing perks for life after the assembly is dissolved. Both steps should be cancelled by the incoming government.

What makes these actions so distasteful is how they were carried out at the last possible minute, with absolutely no debate on the matter. For many, it will also confirm the belief that the government spent its last five hours gorging on the national exchequer while doing nothing to improve the lot of the country’s citizens. This also shows the dangers of allowing politicians to set their own salaries and perks, since there is a clear conflict of interest involved. Ultimately, this will come to be seen as a microcosm of the way in which our politicians have always put themselves first. No one denies that parliamentarians deserve a pension for their service but there needs to be a limit to just how much money is spent on those who are no longer the country’s representatives.



Even more aggravating is the fact that precious few of these politicians actually need the money. To get a ticket to stand for election, even at the provincial level, requires great personal wealth. While in office, MPAs have even more opportunity to enrich themselves through kickbacks and other forms of bribery, a benefit few lawmakers are able to restrain themselves from. Even the most honest and incorruptible MPA will have made enough connections during his or her term to make lots of money after leaving the assembly. This hike in salaries and benefits was completely unnecessary and serves only to show the rapaciousness of some of our elected representatives.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2013.