BASICALLY amnesty schemes are for the rich, of the rich, by the rich. These schemes are offered to legalise mega economic crimes of the ultra-rich.

Never ever have huge educational fees, fat medical expenses and high utility bills been waived off for the poor in Pakistan by any government.

The previous PML-N government found two genius masters who reduced the amount of Pakistan’s government debt and poverty with just a stroke of the pen, changing the definition of total government debt and arbitrarily amending the status of the poor living below the poverty line by a royal decree that those earning less than one dollar per day will only be considered poor in Pakistan instead of the internationally accepted yardstick of two dollars per day.

If we calculate the losses suffered by the country owing to the issuance of statutory regulatory orders (SROs) by the previous PMLN’s government, the nation will be surprised to know that it may open Pandora’s box of biggest ever financial scam of the country.

Like the devaluation of currency, the amnesty schemes and loan waivers increase the number of poor persons living below the poverty base line: and increases the number of persons legally living above the ultra-rich category, who only pay 10pc of the tax revenue compared with 17pc share of the poor.

Pakistan must immediately get itself free from the policies of the economic hit men and develop a homegrown politico-socio-economic system specifically designed to serve the masses not the masters.

Nayyar Ahmad

Sydney

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2018