Measuring democracy

Shifting through the white noise

The IMF recently distanced itself from Pakistan’s ministry of Finance’s much reported celebrations on the basis that IMF had conferred Ishaq Dar with an award of ‘Finance Minister of the Year.’ The story has just added some additional embarrassment to Dar’s portfolio that is filled with embellished and overstated performances of his ministry.

The controversy surrounding Cyril Almeida’s report on a civil-military clash in a closed door meeting has aggravated the long established divisions between the military and civilian leadership.

Among other things, this latest episode of confrontation between the civilian and military leadership highlights how the country’s elected government has been neutralized in all spheres by the establishment. The establishment’s long held preference for the securitization of Pakistan’s economy has turned Pakistan’s economic ideology into an ideology of a security state where all decisions and policy measures – by and large – taken by the former reflect the country’s national interest and anything that retracts from this position, is flatly considered a conspiracy, fabrication, foreign agenda and a scheme that is underway to harm the country’s unity.

One of the things which stand out in this recent standoff between the political and military leadership is the extent of power and control the latter has on the former. Look at this scenario: after Dawn’s report, the civilian government has been trying tirelessly to justify that the reported confrontation didn’t take place; however, constitutionally, the head of the military – including the chief of the ISI – reports to the country’s Prime Minister and any such questioning by the elected government should not be more than a routine occurrence. As I reported elsewhere: “the establishment may have tolerated the government’s questioning behind closed doors, but it has neither appreciated nor approved the disclosure of details that perhaps, according to the former, undermine its position and control.”

Without a doubt, the government’s multiple rejections of the Dawn story, the banning of the report’s author from any foreign travel and the interior minister’s extensive banal press conference to justify all these actions only reflect the government’s weakened position vis-à-vis the Army, where the elected government has been compelled into taking tough, yet unjustified and unnecessary action against a journalist.

It’s ironic that just a couple of weeks ago, instead of the Foreign Office or the Defense Ministry, it was the military which was offering all policy statements to counter’s India’s offense that surged in the wake of the Uri attack and much reported so called surgical strikes in its aftermath. Instead of banning the report’s author, the massage from the civilian government should have been in the form of a complete non-response.

The civilian government’s questionable and shaky performance to stabilize the country’s economy tells much about its credibility that if had proved resonant, might have deterred or curtailed the extra-constitutional interference of any nonelected institution in government’s affairs. Much of the resistance that today’s Turkey has built in the face of military coups – one took place recently that was resisted by the masses – in the country is due to Tayyab Erdogan’s solid economic policies that have minimized corruption and generated growth, in process building more stakes for middle and poor class which sees civil rule as a symbol of economic stability.

In Pakistan, the government has failed on both fronts. The IMF recently distanced itself from Pakistan’s ministry of Finance’s much reported celebrations on the basis that IMF had conferred Ishaq Dar with an award of ‘Finance Minister of the Year.’ The story has just added some additional embarrassment to Dar’s portfolio that is filled with embellished and overstated performances of his ministry.

While the government has questioned the military’s request towards retaining more shares in the CPEC’s security and financial matters, it has been unable to resolve intra-provincial scuffles that have stained the corridor with controversies and disputes. Punjab, the centre of the PML-N’s power, reflects a sorry state of as far as the province’s economic growth is concerned. Apparently, the provincial government’s development focus has hardly gone beyond Lahore. A few days ago, the Supreme Court of Pakistan while giving remarks on Lahore Orange Line Metro, said that Pakistan is being run under a monarchial control in the name of democracy. In essence, the government in Punjab has refused to honor courts verdict related to the planned route of the Metro which many fear may destroy hundreds of years old cultural heritage.

The much reported confrontation between Shahbaz Sharif and the chief of the ISI in Dawn’s controversial report where the former asked for action against some militant groups in Punjab can only be lauded if Sharif’s government had not been colluding with these groups in the past. In 2010’s state budget, reportedly, more than $1 million were given to JuD linked charities. Moreover, Punjab’s Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, is known to have links with various militant groups in the province. Sanaullah has shared platforms, carried out rallies and managed seat adjustments with number of banned outfits in Punjab.

The problem here very basic yet has left shocking consequences for the country: while we lament the military’s role and interference in affairs that are beyond its jurisdiction, such situation will continue to remain unless the government delivers – not just with better governance but with higher credibility as well.