Prime Minister Imran Khan in an individually signed letter exhorted governors, chief ministers and ministers to adopt a simple lifestyle given the country's total debt of 30 trillion rupees requiring setting aside 6 billion rupees as daily interest payment. The letter rightly contends that the ruling elite cannot afford the ostentatious lifestyle of the past and directed public buildings presently in use of public officials to be put to a more productive use - a use that was identified in the letter.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of the federal and provincial cabinet would no doubt take this as a directive rather than as an exhortation, however, it is unclear whether non-PTI members of the federal and provincial cabinets would take a similar view particularly the Sindh government which is under the control of Pakistan People's Party.
Austerity in terms of not using ostentatious public buildings or maintaining the fleet of cars associated with a particular official position has to-date been the Khan administration's flagship measure to deal with the economic crisis as the supplementary budget not only continues the past practice of taxing the already taxed but also continues to rely on cutting development as opposed to current expenditure to achieve a sustainable budget deficit. Be that as it may, it is relevant to note that the Prime Minister has so far limited the implementation of his austerity measures to elected public representatives (and his choice of governors) and not extended it to bureaucrats - civilian or belonging to the armed forces. In this context, it is suggested that perhaps an expansion of this policy of austerity to those who use public money for maintaining large official residences and cars may be considered. And the Prime Minister may consider implementing the policy of monetization of cars of public servants by the previous administration in letter and spirit - a policy that unfortunately continues to be widely abused to this day.
It is relevant to recall that the then Prime Minister, Muhammad Khan Junejo, announced austerity measures in the budget 1987-88 wherein he banned the use of imported cars for civilian and military officers which, reportedly, fuelled considerable discontent though the public was widely supportive for an obvious reason: bureaucrats were perceived to unfairly enjoy official residences and luxury cars at the expense of the poor taxpayers.
Business Recorder fully supports the prime minister's endeavours in launching an austerity drive and ideally all persons in public service would voluntarily give up their considerable perks and privileges. At this juncture, it is perhaps appropriate to point out that old money rarely if ever engages in an ostentatious lifestyle and it is invariably new money, which in Pakistan's context is largely sourced to corruption, nepotism and favouritism that not only flaunts its wealth and engages in an ostentatious lifestyle but also wants to be seen to be so engaged. This newspaper would urge the nouveau riche to scale down their ostentatious living styles with the objective of showing some modicum of good breeding for ostentation hardly ever generates goodwill or indeed a desire to emulate and instead generates contempt.