It is a constitutional and moral obligation of any sovereign state to cater for the welfare of all citizens to enable them to meet their basic needs. State-funded welfare must only be for sustenance of the beneficiaries and definitely not to lead a life of luxury. While it does make sense to provide plots to state employees for construction of a house to live in, it becomes an abuse when multiple subsidized plots are given to individuals and they sell them to buy properties and assets in foreign countries, while millions live in poverty with no house and not enough money to have two meals a day. The civil and uniformed elite of this country is paid salaries from the national exchequer for services rendered, along with pension, subsidized or free housing, tax rebates and medical facilities.
The list of the paid and political elite revealed in Pandora Leaks and Panama Papers, holding offshore accounts and properties abroad exposes the unchecked abuse of power. This debt-ridden country has to take foreign and domestic loans to pay salaries and subsidize the luxurious lifestyles of its paid elite. These debts can be curtailed, if the State were to sell these plots at market rates and raise enough funds to meet the non-development expenditures. State lands allotted for golf courses and clubs at subsidized rates for the paid elite is definitely an abuse, when the State has a paucity of funds to provide hospitals and schools for the poor who cannot afford basic health and education. Although it is a constitutional obligation to provide health, education and basic needs like clean drinking water, security of life and property, the State seems to have outsourced this to the private sector.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
