I READ with greatest possible interest the Dawn issue of Nov 7 Australian Premier's demand for investigation into merciless killing of 21,000 Australian sheep, expressing her justified concern, including talking to Premier Raja Perwez Ashraf at the Summit in Laos recently.

Earlier, it was reassuring to read the letter (Nov 1) by the Australian High Commissioner in Islamabad giving Australian government’s point of view based on safety and ethical considerations followed, in practice, by the government in meeting the regulations governing such transactions.

The inspection of the exported sheep took place 72 hours prior to the shipment.

I trust the Australian version because of my unsuspected personal experience with major Australian corporations and consultants, represented by my firm in Pakistan. During my five - year association with these corporations and consultants, I never had an occasion for complaint.

We worked together extremely well and in time delivering the various studies required by Australian organisations based on correct data.

I always hesitated to raise the question, owing to my own commitment to professional ethics, that some eager hands needed to be satisfied monetarily before developing a market in Pakistan.

The confusion that surrounds this appalling incident of sheep culling and the figures and facts to be given by the Pakistan government (if at all) will tell us the scale of our collective failure -- manifestation of some deep - rooted problems in our society, a widely prevalent malaise, a short - cut to achieving monetary objective in everything we undertake without hard work and concentration.

We are hesitant to choose the path of right amount of discretion to take decisions on merit. I suspect this is the case.

The truth will be hushed up and never be revealed, until you are tired and forget.

MAHMUD IQBAL BAIG Principal Consultant, Management Services International, Consultant to Govt of Pakistan and others Rawalpindi