The internal state of the Federation
The easy part for Mian Nawaz Sharif was to win the elections hands down after almost three years out in the political cold. Among lessons learnt, the first must be that “pragmatism” does pay, the second must be that “naivete” does not. In the order of priorities the economy has pride of place. The good news is that the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), it being time we dropped the “N” symbol, has a full spread in all the Provinces, a strong base in two major Provinces and a moderately useful one in the other two. Even better was the fact that though there was a tilt for regional parties, it was nowhere near a majority. Whenever there is unfair sharing of an already inadequate economic pie, regional tendencies tend to surface. Instead of shoving issues under the carpet they must be addressed on a national basis in order to adequately satisfy all the partners in the federation, economic disparities and perceived discrimination have had unfortunate consequences for this nation before.
The first and foremost task is to put together an effective economic team led by an experienced person having an inherent command of an overwhelming bureaucratic machine engaged in choking the economy instead of running it. “Kitchen Cabinet” insiders may prefer someone amenable to their beck and call, if that should happen, Mian Sahib would have lost the battle for economic Pakistan before it even begins. The “Asif Zardari Syndrome” would come back with a vengeance with a change in name and style only. The chosen Economic Czar has to ensure that along with reforms, accountability is a dire necessity to rid this country of very real demons. Institutions that have been destroyed have to be restored and rejuvenated. Instead of depending upon the FIA, the exorcism must be put in the hands of a focussed team of professionals capable and motivated.
Along with accountability, national census is most important on an urgent basis. While it could be deferred for some time because of the economic emergency, it has to take place. Without real statistics, all planning for the future would be wrong. The unequal sharing of the economic pie is a direct result of an imperfect population count that fails to recognize that 60% of Pakistan’s citizen now reside in urban areas instead of 40% according to the last census. Fresh delimitation of constituencies must be carried out to recognize this fact, the Armed Forces monitoring the census-count to verify its accuracy as “rigging” in this exercise would have unfortunate long-term overtones. It is of paramount importance to give power back to the people at the grassroots level. Without such devolution of power, democracy is an imperfect exercise. Local Bodies Elections on a party basis must follow with the concept of both Proportional Representation (PR) and Majority Vote (MV) i.e. having a run-off election among the first two candidates if the first election does not produce a more than 50%. Regionalism can only be avoided by ensuring every part of the electorate has some representation in the National Assembly. On the basis of another 100 seats distributed on the percentage of votes cast, with 50% reserved for women. What better time for Mian Nawaz Sharif than to do it at the present time with his 2/3rd majority?
At the very base of the democratic process, the smallest unit, the Union Council must be formed from a slate consisting of the first 10 candidates having more votes, that is the only way to ensure that almost everyone has a voice at the basic level. The first two with most votes then have a run-off election to determine the Chairman i.e. unless the first candidate is elected on a vote of 50% or more. This concept of PR and MV is to be carried out till each District, not more than 1 million people, have an elected Mayor on the basis of adult franchise. This devolution of power at the very base of the democratic unit must include the authority to not only impose and collect taxes, but to spend as per the need of the community, the direct relation between taxation and spending thereof will allow the people to physically see what their taxes do for them. The present abstract system attracts lot of cynicism from the electorate and unless the public perception is changed to their being part of the budgetary process in some manner that cynicism will only become deeper and revenues will remain proportionally small as time goes on. This leads us into direct vote for every accountable post from the President downwards. Even the Senate must be voted for directly so that the many ills of indirect elections being manipulated by vested interest can be avoided.
Ms Benazir Bhutto is only making the right noises because she realizes that the masses have given her a stinging rebuke, there were too many international observers and foreign journalists around to be fooled by her initial outburst about widespread rigging. This despite the best effort of BBC to contrive controversy about low turnout. The sudden silence from her previous histrionics points to a realisation that since she cannot negate the obvious, it is replaced winning by cunning method in her madness. She is desperate to (1) avoid accountability from focussing on her husband and her (2) cause friction between the President and PM-elect and (3) somehow become part of a coalition government in Sindh so as not to lose the remaining part of the PPP, already up in arms in serious revolt at the loss of their three decades investment in the Bhutto family because of Zardari’s greed. The respect that is obligatory for her as a leader of a major political party should not exclude accountability. Benazir must be kept at arm’s length, she has proved in the past that she can never be trusted and if anyone should fall into her honey-trap he will fully deserve the consequences of his naivete.
The President, his discretionary powers and the Armed Forces must be left alone. If Nawaz Sharif’s government is on the right-path and with such an overwhelming mandate, why should there be any fear of retribution? Moreover, the President has not only proved his mettle but also sincerity of purpose towards the nation. On their part the President and the Armed Forces must let the constitutional process proceed without any interference. The intelligence agencies need to be monitored closely. Their capacity to harm the individual citizen without any rhyme or reason is monstrous, worse is the penchant intelligence operatives to use the power of their office for personal vendettas or personal gain. The former Head of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Major (Retd) Masood Sharif had the audacity to give an affidavit to the Supreme Court (SC) that he had ordered tapping of telephones on a massive scale, including that of the Chief Justice SC, under the general blanket of “curbing anti-State elements”, on his own authority. He should be tried for perjury. Who brought him to the position of Head of IB from virtual obscurity? Who gave him the courage to have this enormous contempt of the laws of the land that protect the freedom of the citizen? As for the ISI, it is only after Lt Gen Nasim Rana assumed the charge of DG ISI and brought in a fresh team that ISI’s political adventurism was circumscribed from motivated purpose to a position of strict neutrality. The ISI has now got on with they are supposed to do (which is of vital national interest) rather what kowtow to the desires of Asif Zardari as was subtly done by Rana’s predecessor, who deliberately avoided alerting the national leadership to the economic sabotage of the nation at the hands of Zardari and his cronies. Intelligence Oversight Committees must be constituted to avoid such compromises of national security at the altar of personal ambition. For the ISI and MI it must comprise of former senior Armed Forces officers and for the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Provincial Police Special Branches (SB), by a combination of retired police officers and Armed Forces Officers.
Law and order, education, health, transportation, food, foreign trade, lowering of energy prices, etc all have priority that requires movement on a broad front. Mian Nawaz Sharif has to harness all the energies of this nation so that a simultaneous offensive is possible. That movement cannot take place unless he has broken the crust of the bureaucratic shell that is choking the entrepreneurial spirit of Pakistan. Corruption can only be controlled by taking the government out of the lives of citizens. Whole sets of Mickey-Mouse regulations since imperial times have to be consigned to the same dustbin of history that he has sent Benazir. Unless we cut down drastically on bureaucratic red tape and make both authority and justice available at the doorstep of the citizen, corruption will keep on having fuel to breed upon.
To do all this, and much more that needs to be done (and cannot even begin to be recounted here) internally in Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif has to set in place within the next 100 days a working team that will convert his promises to the people into fact. He has to shun routine, Pakistan cannot afford holidays. For starters the administrative machinery must be partly kept open with a skeleton staff on Fridays for the benefit of the citizens, the public servants doing duties in rotation (at least once a month) so that each individual gets a break in turn. The tremendous setback that we have had to endure in the last 1400 days, this break of journey into our perceived destiny as an economic entity of some note, needs to be revived on a war-footing. Mian Nawaz Sharif has a wealth of human resources available to him, he must utilise them to get the best use of the material resources remaining, the vultures having stripped this country bare.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment