This is a term which every leaderof our country uses to justify his/her deeds or misdeeds. So much so that even while administering the oath to the President by the Chief Justice or to the ministers by the President, theyalso include this term that national interest will be kept in view above the personal interest in the discharge of his/her duties. The oath as given in the Pakistan's Constitution is a solemn pledge that our President, PM , ministers, governors, senators andall parliamentarians take publicly. It is however, very sadly observed that hardly anybody who is somebody in the governmentadheres to his/her oath during the discharge of his/her duties. One seesnepotism in the appointments of persons in key appointments, kickbacks in the award of contracts, misuse of government exchequer, misuse of manpower, misuse of transport,misuse of development funds, misuse of aid money, notimplementing the Courts orders and host of other wrong things. Do ourleaders who have taken oath, ever think that all the above wrong things arebeing done in the national interestor for personal interest? Where is that solemn pledge in the shape of oath which they have taken publicly at the time of becoming President, PM or governors or ministers? Either they do not understandwhat they are pledging at the time of taking oath, or they have no fear of Allah the Almighty in whose presence they take the oath. Lately, PML(Q) has joined the PPP government with their leader saying that they have joined the government in the larger national interest. I think the PML(Q) leader should explain to the public what national interest he perceives except that they have gotabout a dozen of ministries andsome facilities of protocol i.eflying flags, hooters, cavalcades and extra security plus some hidden perks and privileges. PPP government during their over 3 years rule has been showing personal interests rather than national interest in every department. As far as appointing people on key posts is concerned one finds mostly square pegs in a round holes.For God's sake have some regardof the oaththat you have taken at the time of your appointment and fear God's wrath in case you violatethe pledge that you made to Allah in your oath. MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA, Lahore, May 20