Utopian demand

This letter refers to the article ‘Downsizing is not the answer’ (August 25, 2024) by Hussain H Zaidi. In the concluding paragraph, the writer says “Finally, political interference in the public sector may be kept to a minimum – ideally, it should be zero. Politicians need to realize that the public sector is for serving the people, not their representatives; that it’s a machinery for running the government, not a forum for extending political patronage; and that the acid test of its performance is effective public service delivery, not keeping the ruling party and its supporters happy.”

Given the ground realities of Pakistan, such an outcome seems highly unlikely. This situation reminds of the joke of lawyers getting upset when parliament begins drafting clear laws as they make their money via legal ambiguities. Something similar can be said of our politicians too.

SRH Hashmi

Karachi