Public Money and Our Leaders

Mr. Abdul Majeed in his letter (News Post 9^th July) says “PM Should Pay” for the driveway costing crores being constructed to connect the PM House with the helipad in the Presidency for his traffic and hassle free travel to the helipad. He argues that since the PM is a temporary allottee of the official accommodation he cannot make any alterations or additions in the official accommodation, and if any change is made the temporary occupant is responsible to bear its cost and restore the property to its original condition when he leaves.

So far so good, but, what about the changes made to the private personal properties of the Presidents, PMs, CMs lying not in the capitals but at far off places like Karachi, Larkana, Multan, Lahore, Gujar Khan etc. etc. and at times more than one as some of them have more than one wife and the residences of all wives are declared as official residences, and upgraded/renovated costing millions to improve their security by constructing huge perimeter walls, installing CCTV cameras, barriers, Security Posts etc. and spending other millions on additional structures for offices, meetings and conference halls, offices for the staff etc. apart from very lavish and expensive furnishings, furniture and fittings.  Should all these be not removed when they leave, some of them ignobly or chucked out by the courts? Alternately, must they not pay for these all if they want to retain them all costing millions and millions?

But who cares in Pakistan, especially in the case of our such overlords?   Believe it or not, some of our worthy legislators are known to even decamp with the Air Conditioners and Blankets of the MNA/MPA Hostels and Parliament Lodges on vacating them!!

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)