http://www.dailynationalcourier.com/national_courier/may2009_daily/26-05-09/artical/artical1.htm
It is said that when you insult the intelligence of the people you are actually insulting your own intelligence. However, the ruling coalition which sounds and acts like the apologist extension of the totalitarian regime of the former despotic dispensation seems little bothered about its public image simply because it has been occupied with such important matters as begging for loans overseas, taxing the people to death, ensuring that profiteers face no difficulty to fleece the people at will, extended loan sheddings of as much as 16 hour duration a day and despite being extremely busy in designing next budget (read tax).

After several benevolent statements of providing relief to the people, announced after the Supreme Court Pakistan's ordered the government to substantially reduce the petroleum prices, the government in its mercy has finally announced to reduce the petroleum price by full Rs 1.45 a liter. The Prime Minister has reportedly approved a 2.5 per cent decrease in the prices of three petroleum products despite the fact that Shaukat Tarin said the country could not afford to reduce the petroleum prices. No one asked him why not if the government can afford to pay over Rs 400,000 a night for the dozens of members of the delegation that visited the US and nearly half a dozen countries.

With the reduction the price of petrol has been reduced by Rs1.45 to Rs56.21 per litre, HOBC by Rs1.80 to Rs70.38 and high speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.43 to Rs55.71 per liter. That in short is government's idea of relief, a government that will still collect Rs 13.46 petroleum development levy (PDL) on every litre of petrol, Rs 17.56 on every litre of HOBC and Rs 10.43 per litre of high speed diesel .

This magnanimous and benevolent act of the government has won the minds and souls of the masses who despite reeling from massive unemployment, poverty, killing direct and indirect taxes, levies and charges aching to return the government's benevolence. Government's kindness has forced me to calculate my monthly petrol expenses. I realized that my daily consumption of petrol adds up around 30 litres a month and that makes me pray for the long life and extended rule of an immensely magnanimous government and all its top policy makers with Shaukat Tarin at the top. The fact that I would now be saving a majestic sum of Rs 43.50 a month, enough to allow me to buy an additional litre of loose fresh and watery milk a month, is just over-whelming. I have suddenly developed a great fondness for Shaukat Tarin for being so magnanimity, kind and affectionate for the lowly people of this great land.

Poor, over-taxed, under-paid, unemployed, marginalized and en masse suicide-bound as they are, the big-hearted people of this land are just aching to match the government's act of such magnanimity simply because they hate to be indebted to any one, even it it is the government. As for myself, the majestic monthly saving of Rs 43.50 is giving me lots of ideas to recklessly spend it on one of few luxuries close to my heart.

Impossible as it to resist the temptation, I have decided to return the government's kind gesture of providing me a majestic monthly relief of Rs 43.50 in saving viz-a-viz petroleum prices simply because we the people are not as ungrateful as some make the government believe. I have decided to return government's kind gesture by depositing my entire monthly saving of Rs 43.50 monthly in the Prime Minister's Relief Fund Account for the IDPs despite the fact that it would take me a full month of blissful relief to save that kind of money.

I also pray the long life of Shaukat Tarin for his utmost compassion to let me become Rs 43.50 richer a month despite being calling any reduction in petrol prices utmost impossible. Keep up the good work Mr. Tarin for the magnificent relief.