THIS is apropos Irfan Husain’s article ‘A house for Zardari’ (May, 16). The writer has indeed aptly highlighted what lamentably is the current state of mind of those ruling the country. The flaunting of wealth, albeit no crime in itself, is not justified by political leadership whose ostensible motto it is to strive for the indigent and the downtrodden.

The palace-like Bilawal House in Lahore, one of the many dwellings of Asif Ali Zardari and his children, is doubtless a negation of the claims made out by the PPP leadership that it stands for the poor in Pakistan.

The writer has very rightly questioned as to whether the new generation of the PPP leadership led by Oxford-returned Bilawal and his well-educated sisters is aware of what is being owned and managed in their name and if so, is it then politically sagacious or morally defensible for them to acquiesce in to such an attitude?

Being the inheritor of the great legacy of ZAB and Benazir Bhuto, the PPP can hardly afford to accept such expensive gifts as the Bilawal House, Lahore, and look the other way in the belief that the rest of the world is perhaps oblivious to such self-aggrandising mentality. There is, undoubtedly, pressing need for the ruling elite, including the PPP leadership, to shun what is widely being perceived as pursuance of an agenda with wealth accumulation as its hallmark as also rather discreetly pinpointed by the writer in the conclusion of his article.

It is, therefore, time for those at the helms in the PPP to revisit their overall approach in this regard and reset their agenda.

Aftab Ahmed Sahto

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2015

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