Collective responsibility: credit/discredit

Under the parliamentary system, the government is run by the Cabinet ministers led by the prime minister. The Constitution of Pakistan envisages for parliamentary system of government. The successes and failures in this system are attributed to the Cabinet as a whole under the doctrine of “Collective Responsibility” not to the individual Ministry or the department. The performance of the incumbent government may be evaluated keeping in view the imperatives of the ‘Collective Responsibility’ of the Cabinet.

The perception of the performance of the PTI government may not surely be matching the expectations of the people because of the back to back mortifying setbacks those are not by design but may be caused by default. The apex court’s recent observation that Pakistan Railways was the most corrupt Organisation made headlines in the news media around the country. The latest official figure of 14.6% inflation, tax on the poorest of poor, may tear their hearts out threatening the very subsistence level. The massive violation of the Fiscal Responsibility Limitation Act surging 40% debt liability during the watch of this government may be equivalence with the emerging situation beyond redemption.

Revenue shortfall during the first six months of the current financial year, Rs287 billion, may sound the alarm bell of economic apocalypse at the brink. Under these circumstance, its allies and backers may be feeling nervous as the writing on the wall increasingly becomes luminous. The obstinacy and self-righteousness of the PTI leadership may inevitably push the country into the labyrinth of gargantuan nature. The majority of the credible international professional organizations also predict the worse to the collective depredation of the nation.

The Transparency International Report (2019) has sadly exposed the government to the bone judging it more corrupt than the previous PML-N-led government. It is disturbing rating for the PTI leadership. The report may erode the raison deter of the PTI leadership’s politics for being wallowing in the same cesspool that it boasted to cleanse. The international watchdog’s indictment has left the incumbent government high and dry with grim feelings in the belly. The government ministers’ inaptness and funny defense in describing the report as ‘biased ‘indeed added to the credibility of the (TI) that is above board at the international level. In view of the inaptness of the mandarins and their inability for introspection may draw the bad days closer for this government, “when gods want to decapitate they make mad”.

Veteran journalist Ansar Abbasi ‘s earlier news story, based on findings of the international organizations, disclosing the PTI government might be judged as more corrupt than the earlier governments in the forthcoming Transparency Report of (2019). The subsequent inclusion of the projected ranking in the Transparently International report vindicated what was anticipated by the journalist. The official reaction on this was swift and extremely harsh, according to the journalist, who deplored that his column could not find place in the newspaper probably in view of the policy. However, the release of the (TI) report, having immense news value, triggered spat of discussions in multiple media in every corner of the country. The people were obviously taken by sense of surprise turning their hands in the mouth in shock. It was least expected.

The other equally disturbing news for the government leadership was the lowering of its democratic credentials by the Intelligent Unit of London Economist. It was embarrassing as it had downgraded its democratic stature as compared to the previous governments led by the PPP and the PML-N. The immediate realisation that may have crossed into the minds of the people was the government increasingly becoming liability for the country.

They may be wondering whether to continue to bear the burden of prohibitive cost hoping for better days tomorrow or shed the burden altogether to cut their losses. Pakistan, as generally maintained, is already teetering on the brink of looming crisis and therefore taking more calculated risk may not be wise. If so, it means this government may lose the legitimacy to represent the people in the face of its failure in all walks of national life.

Even skin-deep improvement in any manner in any sector is not visible to quote as an exception? The people may run out of patience of this government in the face of the back to back crisis—flour and sugar crisis, killing tariff on electricity and gas, losing competitive edge in international market, manufacturing on the reverse gear, burgeoning unemployment. On the contrary, prime minister’s yearning in Davos to put hundreds of corrupts behind bars smacks of his preconceived fixations.

No wonder the Intelligence Unit of London Economist in its latest report has placed the democracy of the country under the PTI leadership at the lower rung as compared to the PPP and the PML-N previous governments. This assessment, attributed to the reputable organization, may not be enough to embarrass the leadership to review its policies for the better. It is likely to continue treading on the path of regression instead of progression. The evaluation may not be without the basis when judged in the context of myriad indicators. Ironically, the de-legitimization of the democratic institutions that started with the sit-in politics earlier has been continuing relentlessly even after it’s coming to power. The Parliament is almost dysfunctional so the legislative business is at standstill. The Opposition does not figure out in its scheme of running the Parliament proficiently and smoothly. The government is rather using the instrument of Presidential ordinances to run the governmental affairs. It seems the momentum generated by the two previous democratic governments, PPP and PML-N, to strengthen democracy has not only been diluted but also the downward spiral of civilian space is continuing under the nose of PTI leadership.

It is quite relevant to recall that the PPP government led by Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, according to anecdotal evidences, could be deemed as the shining example of functioning democracy. It may be kept in mind that during this period historic amendments were passed despite the fact that the PPP did not have the majority in the then National Assembly. But the political will to succeed was so powerful -- ‘democracy is the best revenge’—that helped to put the ego-centric preferences were relegated to the back burner for the greater cause of strengthening democracy and the federation. The participatory democracy was considered as the way forward. The spirit of functioning democracy was at inspirational level during the times that paid back handsome dividends to the nation: like the 18th Amendment removing all the aberrations of dictators, 7th National Finance Award substantially increasing the share of the provinces in the Divisive Pool, naming of Frontier Province as KPK, assigning Special Status to GB. The most remarkable distinction of the historic amendments was the tag of (Political Consensus) on all.

It is a matter of parliamentary record that PPP tabled 139 bills in the assembly, and 90% carrying across the board political consensus. Parliament was then indeed the center of gravity of the country’s politics. The entire Army leadership had to explain the Abbottabad Fiasco (2011) in the Parliament in which the then DG (ISI) General Pasha offered his resignation at the floor of the House for the failure of the security institution.

There was no political prisoner during the previous PPP government, something difficult to find in the whole political history of the country. What is now happening in Pakistan against political opponents in the name of accountability has no parallel? Even the apex court expressed its strong reservations while underscoring the importance of rectifying the growing perception of the whole accountability process tinged with political victimization bordering on political engineering.

The media then enjoyed unprecedented freedom because the PPP not only believed in its freedom but also always struggled for its freedom side by side with the journalist community. PPP’s commitment to the freedom of media was intertwined with its mission of realizing the empowerment of the people of Pakistan as the ultimate objective of its struggle against authoritarian forces and the mindset.

The cherished mission may not be surely possible without the freedom of media as sine qua non of it. Today, the perception is that there is no media freedom in the country and it is being curtailed in perpetuity. The national and international media organizations have been urging the government to ensure the freedom but to no avail so far.

The people, political analysts and the fair minded critics are hardly surprised over the PTI government’s defiance of the best democratic practices. The worrisome phenomena are that the PTI leadership is seemingly reluctant to mend its ways to revisit its political strategy to improve the parliamentary democracy. It seemed determined to continue its policy of victimization to the scale that had never been experienced in the history of this country. The political opponents have been put behind bars for months and months merely on suspicions. Most of such cases remain inconclusive because the prosecution failed to find the evidence to support allegations.

This tyranny has been going on since this government assumed the reign of the country. Mr Fawad Hassan Fawad, former principal secretary to prime minister Nawaz Sharif, remained in custody of NAB for 20 months but it failed to file a reference against him. What could be horrendous enforcement of the ‘black law’ that was based on the maxim: guilty until proven innocent?

Writer is head of PPP Media Cell. muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com