Corruption in Pakistan is widespread, and extends to every
sector from government to judiciary, police, health services and education For
decades, Pakistan has set new records in levels of corruption. According to the
anti-graft watchdog Transparency International, corruption rates continue to
grow, with the country sliding 16 spots to rank 140 out of 180 countries in the
most recent Corruption Perceptions Index.
The prevalence of corrupt practices in government departments will also plague
relief efforts during the flooding disaster in recent weeks. Local authorities
have declared 80 districts to be calamity-hit across the country following
extraordinary rains, with at least 1300 people killed according to the National
Flood Response Coordination Centre (NFRCC) and economic losses topping US$10
billion, some three per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The
United Nations launched a $161 million flash appeal to provide critical food and
cash assistance.
But this turn to solicit relief from the international community cannot absolve
the ruling elite of their failure to ensure the country’s development – which
includes disaster preparations. Primary healthcare facilities are still lacking
across Pakistan, particularly in rural areas, and what does exist is being
quickly overwhelmed as tens of thousands of cases of waterborne diseases are
reported.
Successive administrations in Islamabad, both democratic and military, have not
developed adequate infrastructure to handle disasters in the decades since
independence. It’s hard to escape a conclusion that national development was not
their priority, with the focus instead on plundering and looting the public
exchequer. Pakistan still heavily relies on foreign loans and borrows more to
repay old loans. Presently, the county’s debt stands at 71.3 per cent of its
GDP.
Instead of prosperity for all, a divide has grown within the country with an
elite that benefits from the power to exempt or relax rules and regulations that
are mandatory for everyday Pakistanis. Heavy security protocols distinguish the
wealthy from the rest as they move between towns – some driven in luxury cars of
questionable origin.