Parliamentarians and thier priorities

Parliamentarians and their Priorities
By Umar Hafiz

As if there wasn't already enough evidence, the parliamentarians of the Punjab assembly proved once again that they are quite incapable of fending for anyone other than themselves and their kin. Far from behaving like the elected representatives of the poor people of this country, our members of parliament have left no stone unturned when it comes to self-glorification and gratification.

The latest incident in their long list of self fulfilling antics is the recent debate in the Punjab Assembly of granting of memberships to all MPAs. The resolution was moved by PML-N member Asad Ashraf. The resolution demanded that PA members be given membership in the club. Ashraf said the club’s membership was only given to “king makers or bureaucrats”, adding that the club had been built on government property and hence it was “owned by the people”. He said the House members represented the public and the club’s membership should also be given to them.

Surprisingly, this suggestion seemed to augur well with both the treasury and opposition benches, with only one dissenting voice being raised in the form of Sheikh Allauddin, who said there was a process to acquire membership in the club, adding that several applicants had been on the waiting list for a decade. He argued that the club’s membership was a private matter and the passing of a resolution on the issue could make them look like a “laughing stock”.

He said the club conducted a mandatory interview before giving membership to any applicant, adding the club had denied membership to a judge because he refused to give the interview. Allauddin said members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) should also give interviews and follow the due process.

Pakistani society in general, and its politics in particular, have reached their lowest ebb ever with their being scant regard for the people, especially the downtrodden majority who can hardly afford two square meals a day and have to tolerate their representative squabbling over privileged memberships into exclusive clubs.