WE are a nation that takes pride in wasteful extravaganza, no matter how needlessly it drains our coffers both individually and collectively. If we develop a habit of cutting down on such wasteful expenditure, we can be better off as an individual, a family and a nation.

The country’s faltering economic situation does not simply allow wastage of precious money. Whenever a disaster strikes Pakistan, our leaders start visiting devastated areas, perhaps out of compulsion that not doing so would dent their political weight, and not out of any affection for the crisis-stricken people.

These visits are arranged at the expense of taxpayers’ money. The money spent thus, particularly on visits carried out through helicopters, can better be spent on mitigating the misery of the affected people.

The recent floods have amply demonstrated this, where our rulers have gone on conducting visits to the affected areas mostly on helicopters. Several individuals at the helm of national affairs have conducted numerous helicopter sorties, and the fuel costs and other logistics were worth tens of millions. If they are really pained by the agony of the flood-hit people, they can best demonstrate this through ensuring provision of adequate and speedy relief to the affected people.

On the one hand, people hit by deluge are starving for food and craving for water, but, on the other, huge money is drained on arranging visits to the flooded areas.

We launch flash appeals for arranging the much-needed funds to provide relief and rehabilitate the affected people, but indulge in wasteful practices at home just for the sake of gaining political mileage. So, can we afford to indulge in such wasteful expenditure when Pakistan is mired in multiple crises? Absolutely not.

Our leaders must avoid wasting taxpayers’ money, and ensure routing such funds for alleviating the sufferings of the flood-hit people. The nation deserves better.

Y. Rasheed
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2022