Advocating for change: Activists discuss need for good governance

Pakistan Women’s Foundation for Peace members decry nepotism.

KARACHI: Over 40% of Pakistanis are living below the poverty line but 140 of our politicians are owners of offshore companies, said Nargis Rahman, chairperson of the Pakistan Women's Foundation for Peace.

Sindh is not a democracy but rather a kingship, she said, quoting Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali, while speaking at a press conference organised on Thursday by the foundation at Karachi Press Club. Members of the foundation and senior citizens gathered to speak on 'Saving an Ailing State from the Crises Created by Inept Political Leadership and Bad Governance', an ongoing series aimed at arousing public ire towards the bad governance and lack of honesty among politicians.

"Accountability should be across the board and start from the top," she said, speaking on the need to properly investigate the information revealed in the Panama leaks in order to restore democracy in the country.

"The rule of law must be paramount," said Rahman, explaining the ways to save the ailing state. Corruption erodes the legitimacy of the state and must be tackled, she added, saying that Pakistan needs to completely overhaul its justice system.

Corruption investigation process and agencies should be autonomous and free, comprising men of integrity who work on a fixed tenure, according to Rahman. She also said dynastic politics should come to an end in the country, as it does not work anywhere in the world.



"We have many people who are capable and reasonably honest, why would you bring in [incompetent] relatives?" she asked. "Our politicians must look to history, they aren't illiterate. Those who don't learn from history are likely to suffer for it," stated Rahman.

We must abandon corruption, nepotism and bribery and govern our state the way Quaid-i-Azam wanted us to, said social activist Zeenat Rashid, daughter of Abdullah Haroon. She recalled meeting and speaking to Jinnah in her youth. He said we must educate the poor for Pakistan to prosper, she said. "We have young, qualified professionals who want to give back to Pakistan but we are giving them nothing," she lamented. "Karachi used to be the cleanest city of Asia but now we're called the garbage city of Asia," she said, stressing the need for honest appointments of competent people willing to work towards the betterment of the country.

"The local government system is being blocked because it will prevent politicians' blocking of [Sindh's] resources," asserted Institute of Bankers’ Pakistan fellow AB Shahid. He added that the ratio of law enforcers to population deceives people into believing Pakistan has a law abiding population, whereas these law enforcers are often used to provide security to VIPs. They are not equipped to deal with armed terrorists, he asserted.

Former president of the First Women Bank Akram Khatoon said we need monitoring, which will only come once the local bodies system is revived. She said the country needs a watchdog system in the education and health sectors especially.

Writer Dr Aliya Imam said that in Pakistan people often refer to 'them' in order to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing. According to her, the country has democracy and parliament but it needs local government to function effectively.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2016.