Try an expert for once
The politics of patronage might not be absolutely unknown in countries with established democracies but nowhere is it more rampant in states where the process of democracy has been truncated several times over. This patronage is even more pronounced in the anti-establishment political parties who feel that since they dont have the sort of money the other side has to throw at every problem, providing green pastures to those who have stuck on is the only clean option that they have by way of reward.
The special assistant to the prime minister on water and agriculture, who was reappointed a couple of days ago, is not known for his knowledge and expertise on the issue. The former editor of a Karachi-based evening newspaper was, in fact, appointed on the basis of his connections in the presidency. Whereas detractors might point out the gentlemans anti-dam views as his biggest flaw, it is his lack of expertise on the issue that is most jarring. There can be, after all, many different viewpoints on the issue of dams, many of them opposing at least big reservoirs on as fiercely a contested river as the Indus. The ruling Peoples Party is mandated by the public to take any position on the issue. But it is expected to undertake an educated, well-informed one. That requires an army of experts holding forth on the issue and then, politicians who will sift through the various opinions and come to a conclusion after achieving a consensus.
These clearly are not portfolios to be thrown away for purposes of political patronage. A recent assessment made by an international observer on the failures of the state of Pakistan placed the inability to manage water resources at second on the list. Higher than terrorism or even the flawed trajectory towards democracy. Second only to the states dilapidated revenue collection mechanism. And with climate change and the scandalous failures in population control, expect it to top the list in a decade or two.
