Small mercies

This is with reference to Ghazi Salahuddin’s article ‘Democracy, with tears’ (March 17). The writer is dismayed by the shameless allotment of various perks and privileges voted by the outgoing PPP Sindh Assembly members for themselves. Among these are substantial increases in salaries and perks with retrospective effect (from July 1, 2011), plus 70 percent salary and allowances per month, one private secretary, one orderly, one cook, one gardener and one sanitary worker for the rest of their lives. 
 
In addition they also get lifetime police security, landline and mobile phone facility up to Rs10,000 per month. In any other country, there would have been an uproar, but not in ours. I suppose we should be grateful that they did not allow themselves more perks like five murders every year, one duty-free SUV every two years and one new bungalow every five years as long as they’re alive.

Shakir Lakhani
Karachi
Published in The News, March 20, 2013

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