Sir – Mr Saj Malik is to be commended for his selfless actions (report, October 14) in delivering relief supplies to Pakistan.
However, readers may be puzzled to understand why a private citizen from the UK is having to undertake this action.
It’s not as if Pakistan is poor, this is a country in possession of nuclear weapons, which don’t come cheap.
It also recently ordered 18 General Dynamics F-16 fighter jets which don’t come cheap either at 1.4 billion US dollars.
Yet, it seemingly is unable to rescue its drenched citizens?
Perhaps a clue can be found in its system of government, which is an oligarchy, controlled by the rich for the benefit of the rich. Out of a tax base of 10m citizens only 2.5m are paying any tax. The average worth of Pakistani parliamentarians is said to be $900,000 in a country where the per capita income is only $1,500.
Methinks the Pakistani elite should set their own house in order before criticising the West for its lack of response to this natural event.
Timothy J. Oates Abingdon
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