Tears (Originally uploaded on Flickr.com by !!sahrizvi!!).
Adil Najam
On June 12 I had written about the new Rs. 5000 note and included a picture because I thought people would like to see what Rs. 5000 looked like. Well, there are many ways to find out what Rs. 5000 ‘looks like’. One way is to consider the fact that many–maybe even most–Pakistanis make much LESS than Rs. 5000 a month in raw cash terms!
I spoke to some folks in Pakistan recently and was told that a ‘good’ cook would expect to be paid around Rs. 5000 a month (implying that a ‘not good’ one will be paid less). A driver would be paid Rs. 3000 to Rs. 5000 depending not as much on his driving as your car, and so on.
So what we have here is a situation where the monthly salary of many, if not most, Pakistanis can be paid in a single bank note. What does that say about our economy? About us as a people?
Take a minute to let the thought seep in.
Good Website, with lots to offer.