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Perception, image and reality

Hardly 90 days in the saddle, the Nawaz Sharif government has an image problem. Given the mandate it received in the Feb 3 elections (magnified in its extent by the drastic reduction in PPP votes) and a solid record of governance since, why is the public perception about its performance so different from reality?

Let’s take gains first! In the economic field, the rot set in by the Benazir regime was contained to an extent by Shahid Javed Burki, this revival has continued and we are certainly far better off under Sharif’s economic Czar Senator Sartaj Aziz then what we were six months ago when our only movement was downhill into an economic abyss. However, we are still very much in the woods, we have had to (and will have to) borrow heavily outside the system to meet obligations of instalment and mark-up due not so far in the future. To revive the economy we have had a drastic and courageous reduction of taxes across the board and a genuine dialogue has been opened up with the country’s entrepreneurs leading to a dynamic economic package of incentives. However, an effective mechanism to improve revenue collection has not yet been defined, in its absence the deep hole we are in may become deeper. This revivalist policy has been extended to farmers who have seen the support prices of their produce taken to a new high providing for more than a fair reward for their labour. On the accountability front there is movement to get at bureaucrats though most of the names appearing on the lists appearing so far mean that the process is yet not focussed giving rise to speculation whether the accountability ongoing exercise is really “kosher” or meant to target only a selected few whose heads had to roll because of their known proximity to the Benazir-Zardari duo. The National Assembly and the Senate are really engaged in the process of legislative business which is their prime raison d’etre, obviating the necessity of the government ruling through the decree of Presidential Ordinances as was the usual wont of the Benazir regime. There is only a hint (at least as yet) of corruption in the ruling circle, a sea-change from the all-encompassing environment of corruption that prevailed for all of last 3 years. One cannot say the same for nepotism which continues unabated though at a much lower pace and with lesser fanfare. In most of the government, semi-government and public sector corporations there seems to be an air of seriousness of purpose rather than the laissez-faire attitude of anything goes that had been persisting for some time in the absence of focussed management and administration. Above all there is a recognition that the rule of law prevails and while the law of the jungle may still persist it is not so much manifest as it was before. In sum there is the return of governance in the body politic of the nation instead of the exercise of arbitrary authority on whimsical grounds if not motivated ones.

Where are the problem areas ? The immediate problem on everyone’s mind is the rapid breakdown of law and order, particularly in the Punjab. Each incoming regime blames the previous governments for inheriting a bad situation, in the ultimate analysis it is the responsibility of the government-in-power to maintain the peace. Unfortunately maintaining law and order involves being ruthless on sectarian issues. Since the militants are well armed and have almost mindless motivation, there is not much else one can do but to be very tough with recalcitrants. As everyone knows, for politician-rulers religion and ethnicity are both no-win situations unless you are born politically into it, a damned if you do and damned if you don’t position! The expected government crackdown is not yet in full cry but the “show of force” points to imminent use of force, both in rhetoric and content. The “atta” crisis could have been better handled, it exposed some elements in Sindh not only to be callous and unconcerned about their brethren in other Provinces but having a decided penchant to make a fast buck from the people’s misery. A report had been handed over to the PM, no doubt it will bring to light the misdoings of the Zardari Crowd that led to this near catastrophe but will it also contain the names of those of the ruling Party who have not missed the opportunity to make a mountain of mole out of misery ? There have been some near gaffes in the media. While everyone agrees that the Naval Chief had to go it could have been better handled. For some time it seemed that there was a full-fledged government-sanctioned media trial of the uniformed Services was in operation. As everyone knows, trying to mess with the military can land you in a mess, rightly or wrongly. Very rightly knowledgeable circles held their breath while the official “spin controllers” scrambled to straighten the “twist” to assuage the feelings and perceptions of the powers-that-are. In the matter of straightening out of the public sector financial institutions, a start has been made by bringing in some professional bankers but a white-collar Operation “Clean Up” in this respect has just scratched the surface, the many bankers who connived and collaborated in the looting of the banks through authorising illegal loans without any collateral still remain happily in place. In fact in some cases their authority has been confirmed and even strengthened, defaulting loans are still far from being recovered and given the business-heavy profile of the Nawaz Sharif regime may never be. In the meantime consumer prices, particularly those of foodstuffs are still rising across the board, without any check, hitting hard at the poor and the middle class whose salaries are already on the fail-safe line denoting the poverty-line. Even though the exorbitant rise as witnessed in the last 3 years has been slowed somewhat, the inflationary pressures on the common man continues to increase, the public perception is that it is far more than the actual reality. For a regime, that came in with a lot of rhetoric about easing the common man’s burden, this could be fatal in the long run.

Reality is that while the government is functioning well despite the many adverse circumstances it faces in many areas and the administration is not hamstrung by the corruption factor on a massive scale to tar and feather its image, the public perception persists that despite all the favourable factors it is a government-under-siege. The continuing rains have caused havoc to the wheat crop, the added moisture has also damaged the lentils. This will mean food shortages and additional revenue allocations for imports. Instead of decentralising authority, power is concentrated in a few hands, a counter-productive arrangement in any democracy. Rightly or wrongly the Federal Cabinet is seen to be divided among activist Ministers tending to their departments (outer peripherals) and an “inner circle” around the PM. The resultant friction and/or jealousy and/or frustration, is not conducive to team-work, in fact it is downright counter-productive, particularly when some “inner” members have a severe case of inferiority complex and display insecure personalities. While we deeply sympathise with the ailment of Mian Nawaz Sharif’s esteemed father and the necessity to evacuate him to London, Mian Shahbaz Sharif is occupying the very public office of the Chief Minister (CM) of the largest Province of the country, a Province that is mired in sectarian violence and other criminal acts of terrorism at the advent of Muharram. As such leaving of a burning ship, however extenuating the personal circumstances, has not been viewed with much favour by both the intelligentsia and the masses. One remembers Justice Shafiur Rahman attending Court the very next day of his son’s death, the State must come before the individual whatever the circumstances. Once you assume the responsibilities that come with the pomp of being the CM, the territory demands negation of personal circumstances whenever and wherever professional duty demands greater attention.

Mian Sahib’s major problem arises from his government’s rather convoluted decision-making process, this is not new. While there is no doubt that he has culled together a bright and for the most part, effective team of people around him, essentially some of them tend to be cheerleaders rather than giving the correct advice at the right time. All leaders are prone to flattery, some more than others but if it becomes an aphrodisiac that one requires as a drug almost every waking moment it ultimately starts influencing the bent of one’s mind in supervision to the cold logic that separates leaders from followers. There is a Pakistan that does not sit astride the Lahore-Islamabad motorway, Mian Sahib must make it a point to visit the other Provinces at least once a fortnight. The Gharibabad visit to Karachi was an excellent PR effort but Karachi deserves more attention as does Sindh, more in fact that the rest of the country. The people of Pakistan have voted for Mian Sahib because they find him an honourable person with real patriotic fervour in contrast to those competing with him for the leadership of the nation. Since this is a Parliamentary democracy, the people have elected their local leaders (or should have) in the various constituencies to assist him in governing the nation. Why has he left almost 200 of his men out in the cold when he can make them part of his governing team? Since the selection process of PML candidates was far more open than at any time in the history of Pakistan, for the most part Mian Sahib has an excellent crop to choose from. Real devolution of powers must take place, presently the public has an image that most of the Ministers and elected legislators are treated with condescension by the all-powerful PM’s Secretariat, such a perception can be fatal over the long run. As we already see, the regime has a real image problem and it is unfair to expect the PM to go around galloping in all directions trying to put out small fires that are eating at the heart of this Muslim League Government. Mr Prime Minister, please address the issue of the image of the government before the summer heat and the Federal Budget forces the people into a madness no one wants.

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