Elite leaders

It is time our people, political parties, intelligentsia, establishment and civil society do some soul-searching. Why do none of our paid or elected public office-holders not emulate the lives and ethics of Quaid-e-Azam, Allama Iqbal, etc? Palatial houses, islands of gated housing colonies and allotment of lands and titles by the British were to reward those who willingly collaborated with the colonialists to prolong their occupation because no such scheme existed in the UK.

There is something drastically wrong with the mindset of those who live in palatial houses, pay minimal taxes, and consider themselves worthy of tax amnesty schemes and yet suitable to represent millions living below the poverty line. Why do these men, who often visit Europe where their families and assets are located, not take cue from the size and dimension of 10 Downing Street and the residences of politicians there? Ruthless accountability is as much an Islamic concept as it is a democratic necessity because without it no system of governance can function and deliver.

Ali Malik Tariq

Lahore