Pakistani public officer seeks permission to start corruption in letter to PM

ISLAMABAD – An officer of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has made a bizarre request to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in order to wade through the inflation woes.

In a viral letter to the premier, the Grade 17 officer of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) has sought permission to start corruption from April 1 as he is facing difficulties to meet the expenses due to his low salary.

“Sir, I am a CSS officer and working with Inland Revenue Service (IRS), FBR for last four years. For last more than four years, I can vouch on oath or even on holy book that despite innumerable instance I had to earn below the table money, I have never committed a single rupee corruption. I also know that it is not an achievement to brag about but a normality excepted from a public servant. Agreed, but Sir, owing to current high inflation, and no compensation from government to lessen my situation, I am honestly left with no option but to look for illicit means to be able to make my ends meet, no matter how much I may not agree with this in principles,” reads the letter.

https://twitter.com/amudasar333/status/1639548814255169537

Saying he is drawing Rs122,922 salary, the officer also shared the breakout of his general expenses that become Rs110,500. “I have not included all the petty expenses one has to incur being a husband, a father, and made an earing individual, who does not live in solitude but in a society where one must being participatory,” he wrote.

Seeking permission to do corruption, he wrote: “However, rest assure, I may not cause national exchequer huge losses. I would ensure I take minimum possible, as I am not a habitual corrupt person but one who has been forced by the circumstances and consequent disregard from my own Prime Minster”.

The authenticity of the letter is yet to be verified independently.