Making blimp of a balloon

    This is with reference to recent expansion in the federal cabinet. With the induction of 22 federal and 18 state ministers on 3rd November, the strength of cabinet has now gone up to 55. The decision shows the ruling party wants to have everyone on the bandwagon as the expansion aims to please all, be they its own political workers or parliamentary allies. The country is about to default; the poverty has reached unprecedented lows, people are committing suicides in despair. In these desperate times, a policy of austerity was expected of government. Instead, the government has expanded the cabinet beyond all reasonable limits. This is going to add extra burden to the faltering economy. Our rulers should learn from mistakes of the past. We can ill afford this sort of extravagance. -FAISAL NADEEM GORCHANI, Islamabad, via e-mail, November 6.