Sir: The decision to appoint a renowned expert, Shabbar Zaidi as Chairman FBR, instead of a bureaucrat is a wise step. It was either incompetence or corruption within civil bureaucracy in FBR during whose stewardship tax revenues declined and tax net actually shrunk in comparison to rise in population. If black economy has become stronger than documented economy, the onus of responsibility falls on civil bureaucrats and others employed by FBR to collect revenues from all citizens who earn above declared threshold. If Pakistan today faces threat of international scrutiny for money laundering and undocumented economy which has been exploited by proscribed groups, or weaknesses within system and loopholes left unplugged which have contributed to country’s international embarrassment. All state institutions, both civil and uniformed, or those who are elected to hold public offices are there to serve people of Pakistan and not vice versa. Pakistan and its paid public office holders must realize that the system no longer has space for their abuse of power. No political system, either socialist, or capitalist, or any other form, can survive without a built-in welfare system to cater for most deprived. Unfortunately in Pakistan, the state has catered for welfare of paid and ruling elite. This archaic rotten sick system can no longer be sustained. Unless revenues are raised through direct taxation on all sources of income, our national economy, state security and survival stands compromised. It is the economy that sustains national security. MALIK TARIQ Lahore