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Public welfare
Amidst a struggling economy and soaring inflation, politically driven infrastructure projects are being inaugurated in Sindh, KP and Punjab to bolster the image of ruling parties. However, crucial issues like circular debt and fiscal losses of State-owned entities continue to drain resources. Despite this, leaders are investing heavily in projects that rely on government subsidies for survival.
Doing business and running corporations do not come under the domain of the government, public leaders and bureaucrats. The governments provide essential infrastructure, encourage businesses and facilitate private investment in public projects to provide comfort to the public.
The government monitors and regulates the function of private entities and ensures timely and cost-effective service delivery to the public. Unfortunately, political race persuades ruling parties to increase their public rating through symbolic artificial growth which often does not improve the living standard of the masses but tags gigantic achievements to the leaders essential to thrive in their politics.
The current day economy does not afford such politically motivated schemes which are least beneficial to the public and more poisonous for the country.
Therefore, public leaders and bureaucrats must review their legacies of free electricity, free atta, free travel and free care, which are neither free nor a charity from any leader or the government but always paid from the national exchequer and taken back from the public through taxes, tariffs and tolls. It is a bitter reality that can’t be denied. The government, whether at the Centre or in provinces should keep the issues relating to health, education, law and order at their priority list. Uncontrollable prices of eatables have broken the backbone of the common man. The concerned authorities should use their powers to address the miseries of the people.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
KP Police nepotism
In the wake of a recent assault on Chinese citizens in Shangla district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the federal government has taken action against senior police officials, shedding light on systemic issues within the region’s law enforcement. The attack, orchestrated in the Malakand range, exposed a troubling misstep: a misreport to the federal government by KP authorities inaccurately placing the incident in the Hazara range instead of Shangla, implicating the wrong police official. This error, allegedly driven by familial ties, points to a pervasive culture of nepotism in the KP police force. Key positions in several districts and ranges are reportedly filled based on connections to politicians or influential figures rather than merit, compromising the integrity of policing efforts.
Moreover, there’s a disturbing trend where officers deemed unfit for standard roles are shuffled into overseeing security for CPEC. This practice not only exacerbates concerns regarding mismanagement but also undermines the security of vital infrastructure projects and the safety of Chinese nationals. Shockingly, reports suggest that a meager two percent of allocated funds for Chinese security measures are being effectively utilized, with the rest allegedly lost to misappropriation, further highlighting systemic flaws.
The decision to target the wrong police official underscores broader issues with the selection and oversight of law enforcement tasked with safeguarding Chinese interests in KP. The alleged involvement of family connections and political influence in police appointments raises serious questions about the effectiveness and integrity of security measures in the region.
As the federal government considers its next steps, urgent action is needed to conduct a thorough review of security protocols and leadership appointments. Restoring trust and ensuring safety of Chinese nationals operating in KP demand immediate attention and decisive measures to address the root causes of these systemic failures.
FAWAD SHAH
Via email
