What Ails Us?

There is noise. There is clamour. There are voices of support. There is also vociferous resentment. Both are at opposite ends of the pole. A lot has to happen to arrive at a midpoint of agreement. It will require time. It will demand maturity for negotiation. The Nation will have to come out of its cocoon of status quo and inertia. We shall, without choice, have to embrace change and accept realities as they both exist and shall develop over our journey to centenary celebrations in 2047. The then generation must have reasons to applaud us for bold decisions and forward-looking decisions. Outsourcing Schools Some are inclined towards hope. Some see only despair. All the dust that has been thrown up is a consequence of a general feeling across the board that the system, if not completely rotten or has collapsed, is surely, in the minimum, certainly not working. The gulf of difference in the governance standards between one province and the other is glaringly visible. At least the optics are very different. The demand for more provinces is gaining momentum. While there is value in having smaller administrative units, it is equally a valid thought held by many that it will necessarily lead to better governance. Possibly yes, with a caveat that it will succeed only if it is backed by a strong and legally well-defined process of accountability. Failing this litmus test of governance, we must brace to witness more vexatious corruption, nepotism and favouritism. AI and Balochi Music Industry A few politicians and several forces of anti-creation of provinces are issuing statements with taunt and sarcasm. .. .. if currently four/five provinces run on a high index of corruption, what will be the size and quantum of it, in say 12–15 provinces? This argument is a mere distraction. The country needs more provinces to address issues of the common man across cities, towns and villages. This scribe believes that before we venture to create provinces or federally administered cities, it will be best to have in place, firstly, a well-designed process of inter-provincial coordination that must, without any cobwebs of confusion, address the issues of collection, allocation and deployment of revenue/resources. No city or geographic area should receive any preferential consideration at the cost of others. When Minutes Matter Often, there is mention by political commentators that the country needs “Structural Reforms”; however, when asked to explain and elaborate what ‘structure’ needs ‘reforms’, we get in response quizzical faces. It seems this demand has become a cliché word or more of a political slogan, that is essentially a hot air balloon. .. no helium inside, but only vagueness of action. The need for administrative units is a given. .. .how many is a nagging question. The inability of large provincial set-ups to address the everyday problems of the citizens makes the demand more worthy. The supply of water, health, hygiene and sanitation requires governmental support. .. only local governments can deal with these issues with “interest”. Statistically, with a population that is teasingly close to 250 million people, the need for more provinces is imperative. About four or five countries of Europe together may have less than 250 million people. The demand therefore is justified. Past in Perspective Karachi, the commercial and financial capital of the country, is cracking at its seams under the weight of mismanagement and neglect. It may not be deliberate. The sheer magnitude of the megapolis city that it is today demands or needs attention, leading to self-governance. Every single day, men, women and children are crushed under the wheels of trailers, dumpers, etc. There is no accountability. .. the killer drivers and the callous owners go scot-free. The legal and administrative mechanism is weak. It favours the powerful and lethally disempowers the weak. Regardless of how many and when these provinces should be carved out, there is an even more significant aspect and that is to imbibe within the populace what it means to have authority, and how judiciously it is to be exercised; the authority used to take decisive decisions must have the support of the “concerned people”, and above all, a realisation must be present of accepting ‘responsibility’ for the outcomes of having used authority. We have in place a fairly decent and workable framework to undertake initiatives for economic and social development. What we seriously lack is the institutionalisation of compliance with a given framework. Every citizen must feel the importance of self-accountability, which would lead to the assumption of responsibility for choices made between alternatives, the outcomes of decisions, and the fearless attitude to accept the wrongs done. An admission of lack of compliance will usher in best practices of conducting business. Writing in the Global Institute of Organisational Coaching, Dr Peggy Marshall quotes Jim Rohn on the need and process of self-accountability: “you must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of”. The responsibility for decisions and their results is the first step towards creating an environment of self-discipline and self-accountability. If political leaders travel from one point to another, disrupting traffic flows by having switched off the traffic lights, and with a cavalcade of 25–30 vehicles that defy speed limits, we can imagine what will be the situation in newer and smaller provinces! We need a solid structure of checks and balances; otherwise, even new provinces shall behave like the current big ones, possibly with vengeance. Economic growth doesn’t happen with well-designed blueprints alone. The will to pursue is a prerequisite. The strategy must be clear. There must exist unanimity of purpose. If the economic edifice is built on the proceeds from ‘Inheritance of corruption’, the people must be ready to see the collapse of any new administrative unit. The process of self-discipline begins with “Self” and not by pointing fingers at others. If as a Nation we can tame our passions and ambitions in a cohesive and coordinated manner, there is no reason why we cannot achieve our cherished economic and financial gains. Pakistan needs, firstly, more “good governance” than merely creating provinces. A nation that is honest to itself will inevitably be successful. “The happiness of the society is the end of the government” (John Adams). Amending Lord Nelson’s words: Pakistan “expects that every man will do his duty”. Politicians are best reminded that if public trust is sought, and if they succeed in acquiring it, they become public property—open to scrutiny, who will be questioned, and will remain answerable to the people. Stupidity is not doing one’s duty. For good governance to be prevalent, each of the citizens must know that the buck stops with them. .. not elsewhere. Sirajuddin AzizThe writer is a Senior Banker & Freelance Columnist.

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