A news item carried by this newspaper on Eid shocked many readers, understandably so. According to the report, despite earning oodles of money (as the TV industry has burgeoned into a money-making machine in recent years) television celebrities either under-declare their assets or do not file tax returns.

We are not going to take names of those who were mentioned in the report and we will also not mention the numbers written against their names indicating how much they earn and what part of it they pay as taxes. All we’re going to say is that some of those names sometimes act like the biggest sage on television and lecture against the rampant corruption in society, and on how things in our country can be rectified.

In fact one of them recently went on to defend himself that their (actors’) taxes were cut at source, so they’re not at fault. Sure thing, but the news item talked about assets being under-declared. I’m sorry, if you don’t pay your taxes you have no right either to collect loads of money or to talk about other people’s conduct, because it shows how committed you are to society and the country which has given you that sought-after celebrity status.