THE British introduced a system of attestations and affidavits in countless official and legal requirements. This system continues and only those in authority are trustworthy until retirement!

This system involves enormous money, effort and hardships for citizens, including senior citizens, the sick and the handicapped. Even pensioners for decades were required to submit attested copies and affidavits for switching over to the on-line pension system when all certified documents were available with the departments concerned. Similarly, government pensioners in cantonments are required to submit two attested documents and an affidavit attested by a class one magistrate to establish the identity and credibility for the grant of 100pc house tax exemption when the house in cantonment on leased land cannot go anywhere else.

We are told it is a legal requirement. Why should such colonial laws exist now? It is also said it is a source of government revenue and income for some. Any ethical logic for making life difficult for people to extract money ?

The Indian government has changed the colonial system and introduced self-attestation to show trust in citizens of independent India. Obviously, only cheats will be penalised as in other crimes instead of making all citizens untrustworthy.

Will the chief justice and our worthy MPs please look into this system of treating every Pakistani as untrustworthy?

M. Akram Niazi
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2017