Apropos PM’s comments about NAB, which instead of punishing those involved in corruption of billions, has made a mockery of accountability through plea bargains and acquittal in return for paying fraction. Those who are elected or recruited by state on paid jobs are there to serve people as is the practice in the developed world, where rule of law prevails, not as is done in Third World nations, where laws are subjugated to individual whims.
It is not just present government but PPP, Musharraf junta and Zia ul Haq who are responsible for destroying Quaid’s Pakistan and his legacy. Strict checks, auditing and accountability of ruling elite and paid bureaucracy ensures good governance and this is what Pakistan lacks. It may not be the business of the state to do business, but it is definitely its mandatory role to exercise strict regulatory controls through strict accountability for those who violate. Every citizen must submit to supremacy of laws.
The Quaid stated that the biggest curse we have inherited is the cancer of corruption, bribery and hoarding from undivided India, while referring to uniformed and civil bureaucracy trained by colonial British Raj to run an occupied country, unlike their role in UK as servants of people. Almost 69 years have elapsed and this country continues to be hostage to greed of a few, who want to pilfer it unchecked, pay no taxes, nor any hurdles in transferring their black money to foreign safe havens.
Economic resurgence and rise in exports cannot occur unless internal security and rule of law is restored with bureaucratic red tape checked and no tolerance for any conflicts of interest of those tasked to hold executive and paid public offices. Crime and terrorism flourishes because corruption addicted law enforcement and security agencies aid them through bribery. The widening gap between state revenues generated by exports and tax collection viz-a-viz imports and expenditure has led to liquidity and credit risk requiring more foreign debts at unfavourable interest rates, which may lead to the possibility of default and its inherent dangers to state sovereignty. It is fear of severe punishment for corruption which serves as deterrence, not existence of laws, which are never implemented.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
