State of inertia

While Bangladesh was celebrating 50 years of independence, I became more conscious of its relics in Islamabad, not difficult to spot if you are going around the older parts of our capital.

A rather peculiar phenomenon. Empty plots surrounded by houses built half a century ago. Each of these properties bears a rustic sign informing that the plot is evacuee property under the custody of Cabinet Division of the government. Yes, these plots were owned by people who opted for Bangladesh after the former eastern wing ceased to be part of Pakistan.

Fifty years may be a blip in a country’s life but how do you explain the inertia that characterises the failure to develop these prized pieces of land whose owners have not only left Pakistan but also this world. Surely, there were legal impediments to use or dispose of the land but to leave them in a limbo is not helping anyone. Let Pakistan’s eminent legal minds be invited to sit with government representatives and untie this seemingly insurmountable tangle.

I have cited the abandoned evacuee properties as a case study pointing to the state’s reluctance in solving problems and procrastinating till kingdom come. Now, like never before, the sword of accountability dangles over courageous state officials who genuinely want to take decisions in the public interest.

The Pakistani state has been weak in securing its citizens’ interests, torn as it is by vested interests. Now, it stands on the verge of paralysis on account of institutional incompetence and lack of administrative initiative – except when orders come from shortsighted political masters.

An example of malevolent inertia was the delay in elections for the local bodies that are supposed to be an integral part of the government system. The political rulers at the federal and provincial levels are scared of transferring power to the local bodies. The result is there for all to see. We are well into the fourth year of the electoral cycle before the local governments are installed. That too was made possible by court orders.

The local governments in Karachi and Islamabad face additional problems. The country’s biggest city, principal port and economic hub is at the mercy of wrangling political forces and an unending blame game. Islamabad suffers from a structural handicap as the Capital Development Authority and the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad are at loggerheads in the absence of a workable division of powers.

One of the local bodies in the capital is busy these days painting the roadside brick boundary in a garish pink, a job that makes no sense. In general, the local administration is preoccupied by the beautification of some sectors while leaving the others to decay. One does not have to be a wizard to figure that all municipal or provincial governments are obsessed with improving areas which are already privileged – at the cost of the rest, a caste system of sorts.

One is aghast at the apathy of the rulers to the regular citizen’s plight. Propaganda is fast replacing performance as energies are focused on attacks and counter-attacks between the government and the opposition. Pakistan’s judicial system is not a shining example of delivering justice but as in the case of revival of the local government system, courts take the credit for clearing the roads of innumerable check points.

In one particular case, an agency had blocked a dual carriageway in the name of security for over ten years when the Supreme Court ordered its normalisation. It took another year but finally the double road in Islamabad was fully open. Another pleasant surprise was the clearance of Constitution Avenue after the debilitating check points were removed.

These are just some examples of how a wrong executive action can become permanent with no consideration to public interest. A bigger problem has come to the fore with the federal and provincial rulers resorting to frequent and sudden transfer of state officials. The media tells us that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government now has its sixth secretary at the finance ministry. Similar attitude is observed in the appointment of other key officials. This is sheer madness as it serves no purpose other than satisfying bloated egos of the rulers.

How does the PTI leadership explain the inertia in timely recourse to the IMF in its first year in office? And the story goes on. In all probability, inaction to arrange timely imports of gas is the government’s greatest folly, forcing a vast majority of the urban population to face untold misery. As of writing this article, no responsibility has been fixed nor any heads rolled. It reminds one of a similar crisis under the PPP’s last government in the centre – and they paid dearly for their failure in ensuring adequate supplies of gas and electricity.

It is doubtful that the PTI lot will go unpunished either as people run from pillar to post to cook two square meals a day.

It is not difficult to gauge the popular discontent with the PTI’s forty-month rule. There are indications of the old parties consolidating their positions as evidenced in some by-elections and the KP local elections. The government appears to be caught in a breathtaking effort to create good perception rather than good governance. Whatever happened to the much hyped institutional reforms committee headed by Dr Ishrat Hussain? He has completed his mission and yet the government has not thought it fit to share with the people nor the civil service what has been accomplished during the three-year run of the committee. Inertia!

The writer can be reached at: saeed.saeedk@gmail.com