The country's economy is deteriorating day by day, with a circular
debt now well over $130 billion. Yet, despite this alarming statistic, our
leaders are wasting the revenue of a poor country on showpiece projects. Can't
they think beyond these imprudent, injudicious and ornamental ventures? We need
exigent reforms, policies and projects for health, education, technology,
justice, and law-and-order sectors. But we also know that mega showpiece projects
mean mega commissions and ultimately mega corruption, by which political
supporters win mega-lucrative contracts. Billions of rupees have been doled out
from development funds to the officials' own relatives.
Misappropriation and misuse of power lead to an unjust
distribution of resources and opportunities. Consistently, large loans are
obtained that are never spent on public assistance. Nevertheless, a number of the
ministers responsible have been included in the cabinet. All possible kinds of
political, moral and fiscal corruption have percolated in our society. To quote
Karl Kraus, "Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might
endanger the morals of an individual; the former invariably endangers the
morals of the entire country."
Instead of strengthening the roots of democracy, our institutions have contributed greatly to promoting the undemocratic, autocratic "Yes Sir! syndrome" and "All OK culture" by their own ignorance of and disregard for democratic norms. They are simply not working within their constitutional parameters. There is no accountability in any department, and anyone who is at the top is considered above the law.
Even those who are supposed to be enforcing the law are breaking
it, and a lack of institutional capacity, professionalism, specialization, and
experience have resulted in the deterioration of public services. The bureaucracy,
especially, has become highly contaminated by the misuse of administrative
discretion and a lack of cooperation and coordination that are causing
unbearable delays. It has relied excessively on monetary incentives, and,
intentionally or unintentionally, has come under undue political influence. Our
officials are not actually trained, though they are exposed to a carefully
devised code of ethics and to character building, which is the ultimate and
most important measure by which anyone is selected or elected to any
department.
To quote Lord Bryce, "There is no better test of
excellence of government than the efficiency of its judicial system." Alas!
Verdicts in Pakistan are based on fear, pressure and favor. Though they are
nominally the actual protectors of the constitution, Pakistani judges have found
it expedient to secure unconstitutional changes and maneuvers. It is much
easier for them to mold the law to their own interests than to actually enforce
it. In Pakistan, moreover, a common man requires strong financial means and a
long life before his plea is even heard. The overall pattern of justice is not
in line with the principles of equality, and, as a result, social infringements
have endangered the life of the poor.
The fig leaf which government has employed to cover its
failures has been justifiably shredded by the media. In point of fact, impartial
and unbiased media have the ability to strengthen the other three pillars of a
nation-state, but, unfortunately, in Pakistan, they are playing their own role
in destabilizing the country. Some factions in our media, including the intelligentsia,
are tempting people against the ideology of Pakistan and toward misinterpretations
of the Two Nation Theory. These self-styled "secularist liberals" are
thereby severely damaging our solidarity and building hatred among the masses.
We have traitors who are trying to denigrate the very existence of Pakistan.
How can a country win wars, if it is separated from its ideological
foundations? A country that is already entangled with Taliban-led militancy,
nationalist insurgency, and ethnic political and sectarian violence is an
attractive target for exploitation on the ideological front.
A society in which no heed is paid to the life of
commoners will always lose confidence in its future. The pursuit by authorities
of trivial self-interests has resulted in anger, depression, intolerance,
suicide, drug addictions, and a host of social "blues." Today, the entire basis
of discord in Pakistan is that our citizens are not enjoying the right balance
of opportunities and resources. Due to poor socioeconomic conditions, people
are suffering from attention-deficit disorders, which have in turn led them to
engage in brutal activities.
We in Pakistan are on the verge of a security, economic and social collapse, and are facing an acute image problem. Our country is considered the Ground Zero of terrorism. How can our armed forces save the country, when they are left alone to tackle all the menaces that confront us?
There is a dire need for Pakistan to break the waves of foreign interventions in our domestic issues. All of our institutions must work together within their constitutional parameters to involve the entire society in rebuilding a viable democracy without the use of extractive economic measures. Since democracy is a self-controlled system, all of our institutions must operate freely, without external influence. We are still waiting for the independent judiciary and free media to protect our constitutional rights.
It is said that education is the cheapest defense of a nation, since it creates national integration by spreading political awareness. We therefore need a dialectical education system that places special emphasis on character building. The nation is still in search of a visionary Messiah who can give us hope and direction that will save us from the abyss of disintegration and chaos.
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