Tunisia’s former President Ben Ali who was thrown out in a countrywide revolt has decided to hand over all his assets in Swiss banks he plundered during the decades he ruled the country. Maybe it was conscience that forced him to take such a decision. The Tunisians, however, might forgive him. At the same time, Ben Ali has set a tall order for all those plundered when they were in power. Ben Ali’s stash in the Swiss banks is nearly as much as President Zaradari’s. After Ben Ali returns the public wealth, he could easily claim that he had spirited it away for the rainy days, and now he was returning it to where it belonged. Do we expect Mr Zardari to follow suit? If so he would be setting a trend for the rest of the leadership as well. I wouldn’t ask him to return all that he allegedly skimmed off; he could have some but return the rest. He has already spent a good part of his life and enjoyed the highest office in the land. Like Ben Ali, he too could later claim that the riches he took away was for the hard time of the country. The country is in dire financial straits and needs help.
Major(r) Syed Zahid Salam,
Rawalpindi, July 22.