Parsimony need of the hour

By refusing to attend farewell dinner on his retirement which was to cost the national exchequer an hefty amount of 20 lakh rupees the CJP has set up a very good example.
A country whose economy is being run on foreign loans simply can’t afford such extravaganzas. Let us hope this noble example set up by him will be followed in letter and spirit by heads of other departments of the country also while managing their finances. One remembers former President Ghulam Ishaque Khan often telling the mandarins to observe economy while spending government money as currency notes don’t grow on trees.
The need of the hour is parsimony and not extravaganza. Mention of an old anecdote here would not be out of place also. History books tell us that the Abasid caliph Haroon Rashid had a cousin named Behlol who was a very outspoken person who never hesitated making harsh remarks to the face of the caliph.
Once he was crossing the newly built costly palace of the caliph. Seeing him, Haroon Rashid asked him whether or not he liked his newly constructed palace. Behlol said but for two defects it was good. What are those two defects, the caliph asked him to which he replied if you have constructed it with ill-gotten money it is theft and if you had constructed it with halal income it is extravaganza.