“Democracy, good governance and
modernity cannot be imported or imposed from outside a country.”EmileLahud
Good governance comes through strong and independent institutions of the state.
These institutions need to be built, sustained and stronger than individuals.
Unfortunately, a little effort has been made to build institutions on a stable
footing in Pakistan since independence and individuals have taken precedence
over institutions. Pakistan suffers from a number of crises but the crisis of
good governance is on top because it is the core of all other problems. Our
country is suffering from weak institutional set-up, political instability,
rampant corruption, lack of accountability and transparency and bad law and
order situation. All these issues have seriously pushed off the country to an
abysmal state of poor governance.
The new government of PTI near to complete its first hundred days but it has
remained futile as no new legislation has been passed from
parliament.Undeniably,inflation has increased.Additionally,No homework was done
earlier by PTI being in opposition before coming into power.U-Turns taken by
Prime Minister Imran Khan really created mess and chaos even it was discussed on
the Centre For Middle East Policy at Brookings institution;backing off various
things From removal of Mian Atif from Economic Advisory Council to not board on
First Class Of PIA,indeed,PIA has Club Class rather than First
Class.Although,Some things also improved from foreign policy to Campaigns of
Austerity,Clean Green Pakistan,removal of encroachments and sorting out of
cursory economic crisis.
Governance is the exercise of authority to address public affairs. This
authority can be political, economic or administrative. The use of this
authority is always based upon certain rules and laws of society established by
its members. Good governance is to run administration according to these defined
laws for the welfare of the people.Good governance guarantees safety and
security of the people and creates an atmosphere conducive to progress and
prosperity.Accountability, transparency and equality before the law are
well-known attributes of a good government. There is rightly more stress on
corruption. What Senator Cato said about Rome then is true of Pakistan today:
“Simple thieves lie in prison and in stock; public thieves walk abroad in gold
and silk.”
Enforcement of property rights is another big issue.The existence of laws does
not necessarily lead to enforcement of laws. Pakistani court procedures, the
expense involved, both legal and illegal, to secure rights, and delays in
adjudicating cases, are unbearable.However,The piece of news of amendments in
inheritance can be proved a cool breeze.
Pakistan was ranked 117th among 180 countries in 2017, by Transparency
International’s corruption index.Poverty of nations is the cause or effect of
corruption.Transparency in the government’s dealings is another crucial aspect
in the context of good governance. Corruption takes place in the shadows, away
from the public gaze. The need is to throw light on those dark corners. In this
respect, the Right to Information Act of governments prove worth
appreciating.Efficiency requires making a choice from a set of alternatives
which is most feasible. Feasibility requires taking into account both
technological feasibility, budget balance, and so on.
Information provided by media and civil society is important in thinking about
electoralaccountability. We should draw a distinction between formal and real
accountability.
In a stable parliamentary democracy, experienced legislators often become
ministers by demonstrating expertise in the affairs of particular ministries.
They establish themselves as subject specialists during debates in the
legislature on matters related to all ministries; such discussions are frequent
and detailed.But,PTI is on unnecessary critique campaign and only bad mouths are
listened from Parliament.
Due to bad governance education, health, civic services, agricultural
infrastructure are all in bad state. Even the most basic social needs of
citizens are not fulfilled.
Much of this must change to meet the requisites of a stable and efficient
democracy. This cannot be done by pushing a button nor can any single government
in the present socioeconomic framework be expected to carry out this task.
The selection of key bureaucrats to lead an efficient administrative apparatus
is even more difficult than the choice of efficient ministers. In stable
parliamentary states, the administrative structure remains unaffected by a
change of government.The state of the administration has been extensively
scrutinised by the judiciary, civil society and the media over the past several
years and much has been found that is unforgivable and which ordinary citizens
don’t like.
Again, no single government can atone for decades of maladministration — but no
delay in starting the job must be tolerated.
People at the helm of affairs need to understand that good governance is more
than mere management. It is not only about decision making, policy formulating
but also priority settings, implementation and getting results. Transparency,
legitimacy, merit and the rule of law are the important pillars of good
governance.
The civil servants, police and NAB are not fully autonomous in their decree to
work.None of them is granted full independence, to bring the criminals to
justice and inquire the cases of big guns. These are powerful institutions,
which need considerable attention to de-politicise their structures. These
institutions should be given absolute autonomy to bring the corrupt people
before the law.
Media management has been the biggest problem of PTI but, it’s Hundred Days are
very early to predict its performance.Prejudice must not be shown by new
government and Political Victimisation must be ended by NAB,being a government’s
tool. Bear some tolerance,Talk less and work more.
Summing up the discussion, Good governance is a prerequisite for social harmony,
public order, political stability, economic prosperity and certainty about
future. It delivers the fruit of progress and development evenly to all and
sundry. Good governance is required at all levels of society and state.
Government needs to focus seriously on this issue to accomplish satisfactory
results. We must not allow the erosion of institutions through the idiosyncratic
behaviour of rulers. No state is free of all crises but it is the quality of
governance that ensures its survival through any crisis.