The recent disclosure of assets and liabilities by members of the caretaker government to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) threw up surprises as even those known to have substantial wealth have declared no personal business, houses or even a vehicle. The majority of those in the caretaker setups have declared the ownership of aging cars from 2010 and 2012. The authenticity of such declarations seems doubtful. The public’s dwindling confidence in our politicians is not unfounded. These discrepancies in asset ownership, combined with the apparent lack of transparency, only contribute to the growing scepticism among the populace. It is imperative for the government to address these concerns and to ensure a more transparent system of asset disclosure in order to restore people’s faith in the country’s political leadership, which is of critical value.

Hussain Siddiqui
Islamabad

FEE INCREASE: The decision to increase fee of medical education institutions that are being run under the provincial government in Sindh is misplaced. The caretaker setup does not have the mandate to make any policy in this regard because it is responsible only for day-to-day affairs. It is a fact that private medical colleges charge a much higher fee compared to state-run medical colleges, but that should not be the criterion to raise the fee across the board. Can we use the same logic to decrease the fee of private-sector institutions? No, we cannot. And that is precisely the worth of the logic.

Mobin Niazi
Karachi

TEACHERS’ SALARIES: The minimum wages in Balochistan were increased to Rs32,000 per month since July, but private schools in Kech district continue to pay much lower salaries to the teachers. Some of them are getting as low as Rs20,000. Teachers are the backbone of any institution who work hard to shape careers and lives. They deserve proper remuneration.

Aziz Hasil
Turbat

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2023