Daily Times

Sir: With the completion of 100 days of PTI government, the luminaries, ministers and advisors of Sindh government are daily holding audit of PTI’s performance.

While it is their right to do so, I believe so is our right to hold audit of PPP’s 15 years of governance as opposed to PTI’s 100 days.

We would like to audit PPP’s performance as to why a law, Sindh Right to Information Act, despite its passage more than two years ago is still not operational. Why the Sindh Information Commission which was constituted in May after a lapse of 15 months as against the mandatory 3 months, is still not functional even after six months. Why are the citizens being denied their fundamental constitutional right of access to information?

We would like to audit PPP’s performance as to why Sindh Consumer Protection Act which was passed in 2015 is still powerless as even after the passage of three years no Consumer Courts have been formed. Why the consumers of Sindh have been denied their constitutional protection.

We would like to audit PPP’s performance as to why despite the passage of two years, The Sindh Senior Citizens’ Welfare Act remains devoid of rules and regulations, leaving senior citizens of Sindh deprived of their rightful benefits. And the list is endless. Passing a piece of legislation is the easy part, implementing it requires true grit. Before demanding audit of others, why can’t PPP do a self-audit of its own performance? Maybe then the Sindh government can discover the lacking in its governance. And while they are at it, can I request the Co-chairman of PPP to do an audit of its army of Ministers and Advisors who never bother to respond to the letters of the ordinary citizens, the one they profess to serve.

Just as it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness, so is a little self-reflection better than faulting others.

DR RAZA GARDEZI

Karachi

Published in Daily Times, December 5^th 2018.