Mr. Muhammad Zubair,
Governor of Sindh.

Dear Governor,

Welcome to the new assignment. We hope you will have a happy and productive stay which will neither be too long nor too short , unlike some of the earlier residents of this 32 acre house.

While you spend some happy hours exploring this huge mansion, please remind yourself that 80 percent of Karachi’s population lives in homes measuring less than 120 square yards. To keep a sense of proportion, it may be best to recall each day, that you now occupy, entirely at the tax payers’ expense, the same area that is occupied by 1066 average families of Karachi.

Your first assignment after taking oath of office will be to visit the mausoleum of the Quaid. Remember that you will be making this trip in an unregistered and unlisted vehicle that has never paid motor vehicle tax (data provided by the Excise and Taxation Department under the Right to Information Act). Known as an honourable and law abiding citizen, I am certain that you will refuse to travel by this unlawful carbon-emitter. You will instead demand something smaller, more ordinary and more law-abiding. Also please remember to leave behind the dozen or so heavily ‘loaded’ vehicles that routinely tend to tag along behind.

Back in the Governor House, after paying your respects to the Quaid, you may like to inquire as to why the Governor House needs and maintains a fleet of at least 44 cars. With your strong financial background, you will quickly work out the burden of this largely unnecessary indulgence. I am attaching a photograph of the 44th car on your inventory that was found gallivanting this morning in the commercial areas of Karachi. You may then decide to retain one or two of these vehicles and sell the rest to build more schools for the needy children of Sindh.

Around this time there will be a stream of luminaries who will be enthusiastically converging on the Governor House to pay their respects to its new occupant. As you warmly greet the Stanford-educated Chief Minister, please let him know that out of the 20986 government vehicles on the records of the Exise and Taxation  Department, 8696 have not paid  motor vehicle tax for the last 10 years, while another 5348 vehicles have not done the same for the last 20 years.

While the honourable Chief Minister vows to attend to this this matter, you may gently whisper in his ears to begin this charity from home. Of the 36 cars maintained by the Chief Minister house, 25 have not paid any tax for the last ten years.

Paying motor vehicle tax, registering all vehicles and placing their data on the E&T website is a legal requirement already implemented for all private vehicles. You might wish to enquire why the Sindh Government has refused or failed to follow this law in the case of its own vehicles.

While the government is forever demanding compliance of laws, can a citizen take the liberty to submit that governments which do not follow their own laws are left with little moral authority to ask others to do so?

Hope you have a productive and pleasant stay at the 32 Acres.

Warm Regards