WITH the increase in oil prices, the corresponding prices in the items of daily use have gone skyrocketing. The poor man is at a loss how to make ends meet.

The middle class has also been badly affected and perhaps they are also touching the poverty line. The old pensioners have started packing up for their journey to the graves as they cannot live within their meagre pensions.

However, there are a few classes in our society which are unaffected by the high prices. One can see them in our posh shopping malls which are packed to capacity by the shoppers. They have plenty of money to spend on luxury items. Most of them come on green-plated brand new cars/land cruisers. Obviously, they are families of the ruling class. They are parliamentarians, ministers or high - profile government servants.

These are the freeloaders and parasites on the public money. They have free transport, free manpower at home, free telephones, free electricity and almost free food. The waderas or industrialist friends in anticipation of getting favours also oblige these freeloaders with expensive gifts in cash or kind. So the high prices or inflation do not affect these freeloaders.

I suggest the government that their facilities should be cut down so that they also feel the pinch on every rise in prices. Like limited mileage on the use of official transport, all utility bills must be paid by these freeloaders. The only class which needs to be squeezed is the tax evaders who have plenty of black money and they spend it lavishly.

M. AZHAR KHWAJA
Lahore