Naseebullah Khan
Why nations fail-institutions? institutions? institutions. Daron Acemoglu and James A Robinson why nations fail.
It is an age of institutionalization where an individual cannot acomplish all his/her tasks in personal capacity. The success of education, health, economy, security and all other sectors is possible through collective efforts of institutions within the constitutional ambit through good governance. When we come to the situation of Pakistan, the scenario with respect to institutional progress is bleak. At current, we are still stuck in the SNC (single national curriculum), electronic voting system, Secret ballot voting in National assembly and Senate, and institutional imbalance followed by weaknesses of tricotomy in different spheres.
Acceptably, there is a dire need of reforms and introspections on the part of policy makers within the institutions that have made their credibility at stake. But, on the other side, when the institutions do their due role as per the constitution and decide against a party or individual, they (individuals, party, or other institutions) are happy with the decisions while, on the flip side, the opponent party becomes unhappy. We have observed such situation in the election commission of Pakistan, in the NAB, in the Judiciary, etc. This type of situation has created mistrust among the common citizens. Starting from judiciary millions of cases are pending in courts. Despite focusing on them and solving the dearth of judges in lower and upper judiciary___ some political cases have been preferred. For instance, a juge of supreme court was made incharge, for the first time in the judicial history to supervise an ongoing case in the accountability court. The revelations of ex-judge of Islamabad high court Jusitice Shuqat Saddiqui were shocking when he alleged some personals from establishment who according to him were affecting on the cases. Politics has been the arena of politicians. Unfortunately, the military has been involved in it which was acknowledged by the DG ISI and the DG ISPR in their presser who said that they had decided to depoliticise the institutions. On November 23, the same remarks were told by the then Army chief General Qamar javed Bajwa while speaking to martyers conference that in the past 70 years political interference of army in politics was wrong. This retrospection is a welcome step and there is a dire need to let politicians do politics, let them make responsible for their faults and their successes. Why should army be dragged into politics which has brought nothing rather than a worsen image. A recent dent was provided when the appointment of army chief was politicized by the PTI.
Power struggle is a part of democratic process by the political parties. But getting it by hook or by crook is against the basic norms and values of democracy. The black sheep among the politicians are equally responsible for dragging army into politics and weakening of parliament. The famous non sense attitude of the then MNA of PTI is not far when he brought a military boot in a TV show and satiricaly said that politicians are influenced by army. How can one expect cementing of the institution of parliament in the midst of such irrational and immature attitude towards parliament? Notwithstanding, Parliament is thought functional but dysfunctional. It has been made as rubber stamp and many important issues of national interests are not even brought for discussion in the house. The previous government of Imran khan run the state through dozens of presidential ordinances. During the last two tenures, neither Imran Khan nor Nawaz sharif gave due importance to parliament. Both participated in the sessions of parliament scarcely. Imran Khan even did not shake hand with opposition leader in the assembly which has been a parliamentary norm. How pathetic is the decision of the PTI that has announced resignation from parliament rather than making the institution strong. In other institutions, corruption is at its peak. Political vendetta has been considered a sole privilege of the ruling party. Whosoever has been in power always tried to use NAB and other institutions as weapon against opposition. How can an institution be stop from decaying in such circumstances? Moreover, bureaucratic tactics of delaying legal issues of the common people, lack of formulating new policies by bureaucrats have made civil service in jeopardy. The letter mantra made diplomatic institutions in disarray.
Pakistan is in serious institutional crises. There is a dire need of serious soul_ searching to overcome the the flood of crises. The more institutions are strong the more a country will be happy, prosperous, developed, and progressive. In the case of Pakistani institutions, the current situation of institutional decay is alarming. Are the authorities and policy makers prepare to mend? The answer is uncertain.