The selfish assembly

By Dj Mathal

The so-called elected representatives of the masses sitting in the dummy Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) dropped a bombshell on the poor and inflation hit electorates by passing without any debate a bill increasing their own perks and allowances.

Law Minister Wazir Shakil Ahmad tabled the bill under the Act 2010 and requested the house that the bill envisaging increase including monthly salary of the speaker to Rs52,550, should be passed without any delay.

Under the new dramatic law, the speaker will be authorized to spend an amount of Rs20,000 per month on the expenditures of his office. Besides, he would get Rs0.5 million for decoration and maintenance of the speaker house and Rs45,000 as house allowance. The speaker will travel in business class on taxpayers' money. In case of foreign trips, his salary will be paid in the currency of that country. The speaker at a time can use two vehicles. And apart from all these, he will be getting Rs1.2 million discretionary funds to be spent at his good will. He will also be entitled to a huge amount of money as telephone and medical allowances. And to oversee this entire amount, the speaker will himself be the accountant and controlling officer.

Similarly, the deputy speaker of the house will get Rs50,200 monthly salary while Rs10,000 for official expenditures. He will be authorized to spend Rs50,000 on house maintenance and decoration. Besides, his house rent will be Rs40,000 in addition to an equal amount as house maintenance allowance. All other allowances admissible to the speaker will be given to the deputy speaker too. His discretionary funds has been fixed at Rs1 million. The members of the GBLA will get Rs25,000 monthly salary, tea and other allowance of Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 as house rent allowance. Their medical entitlement will be equal to a class one officer.

The opposition leader will also get salary and other allowances equal to a minister.The members had demanded that their salary should be fixed at least at Rs40,000. The irony is that all the members, ministers, advisers, governor and the chief minister will be exempted from any type of tax.

These members passed the bill without losing any time and debating the matter while their electorates are unable to even get two time's bread due to the worst ever price hikes and inflation. When we look at the perks and allowances of the lady governor, who assumed the post with tall claims of bringing a revolution in the region, it turns out to be even greater joke with the poor masses. Reports say within a month she placed orders for food and lodging costing Rs4.5 million. In Islamabad, this governor of the poor masses stayed at the Serena Hotel at the taxpayers' money as if she had gone there to decide the fate of the nation.

It will not be out of context if we say that the 'honorable' Dr Shama Khalid is governor-cum-viceroy of Gilgit-Baltistan appointed by equally 'honorable' president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari because had she been the real representative of the people she could not have even ventured into staying at such a costly hotel in the federal capital of Pakistan.

How it is possible that a poor man from this region can approach her at the Serena Hotel if he has to get some of his problems resolved.This is shameful that the chief minister who claims to be the servant of the people has also got his salary and privileges increased. Now he is entitled to get a monthly salary of Rs60,000, with each of his cabinet minister taking away Rs45,000. The chief minister's equipment allowance has been fixed at Rs50,000 and that of ministers at Rs25,000. For daily expenditures, the CM will get Rs45,000 and each minister Rs25,000. Sheikh Saadi has narrated a saying of King Nosherwan that: "If a king eats a single fruit from the garden of his subjects, his soldiers will wipe out the whole gardens." The bogus members of the dummy assembly who have reached the house through a bogus and fraud election fulfill the saying today.

It is strange that the coterie of looters and plunderers has even not felt an iota of trepidation before bulldozing the bill aimed to fill their pockets at the cost of the poor masses.In every trick, our cry from the wilderness vindicates the situation on the ground.

We have been saying that the so called self governance order can never be a substitute for the freedom and achievement of our rights. This package was aimed at not empowering the masses of Gilgit-Baltistan but to perpetuate the illegal rule of Pakistan.

The masses have already tested the sincerity of their so called elected representatives and servant during the Attabad lake crisis. Scores of people lost their lives; thousands more became homeless and are living a miserable life in relief camps. Besides, agricultural land, standing crops, fruit orchards and cattle were swept away causing billions of rupees losses to the people.

These so called leaders at the time of the crisis even failed to raise the issue in the assembly but when dust was not settled in Hunza Nagar, they managed to pass the so called bill to pocket whatever came to their way in terms of salaries and perks and allowances. Had the so called public representatives an iota of shame and sympathy with the masses, they could have decided to spend this amount on rehabilitation and welfare of the displaced and calamity hit people of Hunza Nagar.It is time the masses of Gilgit-Baltistan took stock of the situation and worked for the betterment of their coming generations.

If they want to become a truly independent nation and able to decide their future on their own and run their affairs independently, they have to rise and join the struggle for achievement of their rights which have been denied to them for the last about six decades.

(www.bangesahar.com)