THE declaration of assets by the Election Commission of Pakistan has brought into limelight a bitter reality. Most of our leaders, sitting on ruling or opposition benches, do not speak the truth. Not only the sitting prime minister, but the donation-funded naya-Pakistanwallah is a billionaire. Because they lie, they are ineligible for holding offices of public trust.

An ideal government will be ruled by the truth-sayers. Certainly the present ruling set-up is not an ideal one. How to bridge the gap between the real and the ideal government? Kant suggests that the governance gap could be filled by civil society through initiating debates in newspapers, periodicals, journals and other spaces of public debate by intellectuals, academia, and public figures, besides through public-interest litigations.

Civil society accepts education, healthcare and housing as basic rights.

There had been aplethora ofelection petitions. But, why hasn`t there been a single petition to constitutionally equalise citizens as regards education, healthcare and housing? For example, take the issue of shelter.

The federal government carved out and allotted two plots each to government servants in grade 22. None for those below grade 22. The DHA allots plots to all its officers. Why can`t the DHA or Federal Government Employees Housing Federeation do so? Our metropolis is abuzz with rumours about corruption and mismanagement in developing new sectors G-14 and G-15? Instead of mudslinging, MNAs should embarrass the ruling benches with solid proposals to ameliorate the lot of the common man.

Amjed Jaaved Rawalpindi Cantt