Bad governance as the hallmark of PML-N rule

It began from day one and persists after nearly four years of tenure

The arbitrary 1 pc hike in the GST months after coming to power had to be withdrawn since the tax could not have been imposed until Parliament passed the Finance Bill 2013. Early this week the Supreme Court annulled promotions of Grade 21 officers by a High Powered Selection Board (HPSB) headed by the Prime Minister on grounds of being contrary to merit and the decision taken in violations of the prescribed procedure.

The Prime Minister being the chief executive of the country is required to take all major decisions in cabinet meetings. For three years he took these decisions himself caring tuppence for the cabinet till Supreme Court told the government this was unconstitutional. Secretiveness continues to persist. Lack of transparency regarding vital details of the CPEC caused an avoidable dispute between three provinces and the federation which raged for three years forcing the Chinese to step in to remove the misgivings.

Total concentration on mega projects which can be translated into votes at the next elections leads the government to ignore its constitutional duties. The Supreme Court had to intervene again and again to direct the government to correct its course. The PML-N administration has in fact been coerced into holding the Local Government elections and the Census against its wishes.

The way the PML-N government has managed the circular debt is another example of bad governance and lack of transparency. The secretive way the debt was paid off soon after the government came to power and the way it got accumulated again to the precarious level of Rs 216 billion in less than six months is no secret – and this, too, despite a firm assurance from the Finance Minister that the circular debt would never be allowed to rise again. The circular debt has now spilled over the entire fuel supply chain, choking ports, and refineries and down to railway bogies and tanker lorries. Meanwhile concerned ministries blame one another for the crisis which furnishes yet another example of bad governance.