Pakistan has witnessed a continuous decadence of all state institutions. Today, our economic survival and credibility stands threatened by indiscipline and massive institutionalised corruption. Institutions strengthen by weeding out black sheep, but in Pakistan the tendency is to brush everything under the carpet. We live in a country where social status of the elite is gauged by the frequency with which they violate laws and financial scams have become a routine affair.
Just look at the shameful arrogance of 24 retired senior civil bureaucrats unwilling to vacate official residences in Lahore GOR 1, which they are required to leave within six months of retirement. Few of them retired almost six to seven years back and in any case were serving the federal government. Almost all of them during service had been allotted multiple prime real estate plots so that they could build houses. The Punjab government which takes pride in demolishing and ejecting unauthorised occupation of land in major cities seems to be helpless when it is a question of enforcing discipline on even retired senior bureaucrats.
The series of incidents that have embarrassed our defence forces are a consequence of years of indiscipline that has prevailed amongst the few top ranking officers. In USA over the past 18 months, the Navy has disciplined and sacked 29 commanding officers for offences committed by them which include sexual harassment or inappropriate personal relationships, while three others were fired for alcohol-related offences, and two on unspecified charges of personal misconduct.
As a nation we have to understand that when the rot starts from the top, it is the top that must be disciplined and held accountable so that the trickle down effect sends proper message, otherwise this decadence threatens our very survival as a self-respecting sovereign state.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
