IRI Releases Survey of Pakistan Public Opinion | International Republican Institute (IRI)

2010-02-25T02:10:00.000-08:00

IRI Releases Survey of Pakistan Public Opinion International Republican Institute (IRI)

IRI Releases Survey of Pakistan Public Opinion | International Republican Institute (IRI)

2010-02-25T02:09:00.000-08:00

IRI Releases Survey of Pakistan Public Opinion International Republican Institute (IRI)

Corruption in high places in Pakistan

2008-09-28T00:11:00.000-07:00

There is a general consensus among the people who know it that CORRUPTION is the rootcause of maladministration in all the state organs of Pakistan, harshly damaging the politics, economy and social fabric of the country.

Corruption has become so widespread, so broad-based and so multi-dimensional that it is next to impossible to detail it in one blog. It is, therefore, confined to the corruption at the level of the ministers, chief ministers, governors, prime ministers and presidents of Pakistan, present or past, as the case may be, with due consideration to the exceptions.

The corruption in these high places is largely facilitated by the civil bureaucracy of grade 20 and above. The bureaucracy is usually the master brain for either to conceive an opportunity of corruption or to tap it for themselves or their political bosses or both, with due consideration to the exceptions.

For the sake of brevity and simplicity of understanding, I would deliberate upon the corruption of only two broad categories of kickbacks and graft. A Kickback refers to sharing by the benefactor of income, profit or material gains of the beneficiary in a project, permit, permission, exemption, contract, and so on. The beneficiay may pay it to his benefactor by adding it to his cost or pay it out of his profit. Kickback may be known as the 'facilitation money.'

Graft is a form of bribery paid to the benefactor in return for a favour to protect the beneficiary from the long arm of the law in his wrongdoing of any kind and size. It may be known as the 'protection money.'

Both forms of corruption, aimed at bestowing monetary gains on the beneficiary, are prevalent at the higher levels of bureaucracy and political appointees and their value or amount may be running into millions and billions of dollars or millions and billions of rupees. I guess-estimate that the combined kickbacks and graft in high places may be much more in value terms than the combined bribery at the lower levels of bureaucracy and political appointees.

The kickbacks and graft are like taking blood out of the economic body of the country. It takes its toll on the economy, politics and social system through the length and breadth of the society in urban as well as rural areas.

High inflation, rising class conflicts, poor quality or insufficient or delayed development work, escalating unemployment and under-employment and deepening poverty may be a direct manifestation of these two major devils and evils of our society.

As far as I know, the watchdog of worldwide business transactions Transparency International determines the index of corruption in its 180 countries profile on the basis of kickbacks and graft rather than bribery at the lower levels paid by a much larger population to get their genuine or dubious, legal or illegal, tasks done at the various levels of government and political system.

Pakistan stands at 46th position on the index of Transparency International at the moment. That means Pakistan is amongst the top one-fourth (25%) of the corrupt countries.

The corruption in high places, directly or indirectly, causes tremors and turmoil in the entire society. The people in general are unable to have access to justice, fairplay, and merited decisions, and enforce their rights and privileges as citizens. That, in turn, breeds hatred, deprivation, crime, extremism, and violence. The people in general feel their rights are usurped by those in power of one form or the other.

At the present critical juncture, it is imperative beyond a shadow of doubt that the nation as a whole has to realize the gravity of the situation, stand up and join hands to work together with or without support of the government to put an end to the galloping corruption in high places.

There may be hundred and one ways to keep a watch, check and restraint on those who indulge in such corrupt practices. The risk and danger ahead that I foresee as a concerned citizen is undoubtedly phenomenal in its dimensions if we do not take immediate steps to curb the corruption of great magnitude and broad manifestation of outright greed, irresponsibility and unpatriotism.

So much damage has already been done by the corruption over the years that we, as a nation, are now left with no time to let it go any further. It will not be unfair to categorically state that the sovereignty and independence of our country and its people are at stake under the present and foreseeable circumstances.

I sincerely and strongly appeal to the democratically-elected federal and provincial governments to devise ways and means to curb corruption as fast as possible for the sake of the people and the country before it is too late.

As a civilized nation, we should now opt for self-censorship, self-accountability and self-responsibility to set new positive precedents for our future generations and to improve upon our public image within and outside Pakistan.

All visitors to the blog are welcome to express your views, opinions and suggestions that might help in finding short-term and long-term solutions to the dare devil of corruption in high places, to begin with, which I am sure will certainly help in curbing bribery at the lower levels in due course.

Mumtaz A. Piracha

Founder & Moderator

Good Governance Forum

Karachi

website: http://www.ggovernance.co.cc/

email: good.governance@gmail.com

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GOOD GOVERNANCE ISSUES IN PAKISTAN

Good governance has been an over-riding, perennial, key issue in Pakistan during its 61-year history, starting from the 14th of August 1947. Without going into the past, the country is today faced with grave public issues of inflation, unemployment, poverty, law and order, electricity, water, gas, transport, housing, education, health, justice, corruption, maladministration, and political instability. The tasks ahead are gigantic and demand a high level of competence, courage and commitment from the political leadership, civilian bureaucracy, and civil society organizations to lead the country of 160 million souls to stability, progress and prosperity.

Pakistan has an immense geo-political strategic position. It borders Afghanistan, China, India, Iran and provides access to the CIS in Central Asia via Afghanistan. It has a direct route to the Arabian Gulf. The Arabian Sea marks Pakistan's southern boundary with 1064 km coastline. It has been a long-time close ally of China and Iran. Being a major Muslim country, Pakistan shares religious affiliation with Iran and enjoys brotherly relations with Arab States in the Middle East and Muslim countries in the South Asia. It has been allied with the United States of America from the beginning of its establishment and remained a part of the US sponsored political and military alliances of SEATO and CENTO for a long time. It is also a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The port of Gawadar in Balochistan, the largest land-mass province of Pakistan rich in natural resources such as natural gas, coal, marble, chrome, silver etc., has been largely constructed and financed by China. The Gawadar Port will provide a cheap, convenient and comfortable route for shipments to and from the Arabian Gulf, the Central Asian Republics and China. It could also be used by the American and European shipping lines. Road link to Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics from there onwards will greatly contribute to the international trade, bringing cost and time savings to the shippers and prosperity to the destination cities. There is already a road link from Quetta to Iran. Gawadar will also be linked by road to the major cities of Pakistan.

Pakistan is probably one of the rare countries of the world endowed with every thing. It has land, sea, rivers, four seasons, manpower, agriculture, industry, natural and mineral resources, oil, gas, vegetables, fruits, foodgrains, livestock, dairy farms, roads, railways, airways, shipping lines, telecommunications, coastline, and what not. It can meet most of its requirements from its domestic resources.

What Pakistan badly needs today is the WILL TO DO AND THE COMPETENCE TO DO to tap the country's vast resources. Nothing can stop the country from progressing fast once its will to do is put into full gear. Competence will come along. Money, technology, and foreign collaboration are no problem once the political stability is achieved, progressive policies are formulated, and well-designed programmes are implemented in all earnest to show to the world that we are determined to move ahead in the new century.

Under the country's Constitution, adopted by all political parties and provinces in 1973, the role of each organ of the state i.e. the executive, parliament and judiciary is clearly defined. What is needed is the adherence of the political government to the tenets of the Constitution. With Unity, Faith and Discipline in our heads and hearts, we can live together, work together and progress together. Sectarian, linguistic, and ethnic considerations cannot overtake the nation's determination to forge unity and live in peace.

The ongoing threat of militancy in the tribal belt is borne out of the absence of political government, equitable distribution of wealth and resources, economic, legal and social justice, respect for tribal traditions, customs and values and fair and firm settlement of issues agitating the minds of the tribes. The tribes are as good Muslims, patriotic and Pakistani as anybody else but like country's other regions, the tribal region also needs a different treatment. Once the government of Pakistan is fully conscious of the underlying stresses and strains and it determines with courage, confidence and competence to resolve the thorny issues, peace and tranquility are bound to return faster than imagined.

As far as the Kashmir dispute with India is concerned, we have lived with it and fought for it in 1948, 1965 and 1971, notwithstanding Kargil. We now have to stop thinking about using arms to resolve the issue and start using peaceful means with honesty and sincerety to come to an acceptable solution. Neither India nor Pakistan can afford to keep the issue burning for indefinite time and keep the people of Occupied Jammu & Kashmir in a state of despair and despondency for too long. The Kashmir issue has cost India and Pakistan huge sums of men, money and materials overtime and the defence budget of each country is still taking a major chunk of its national exchequer in the presence of mass poverty and under development in the rural areas.

SAYNO2CORRUPTION

IRI Releases Survey of Pakistan Public Opinion | International Republican Institute (IRI)

IRI Releases Survey of Pakistan Public Opinion | International Republican Institute (IRI)

Corruption in high places in Pakistan