Opinion

Pakistan’s apathetic rulers

Dated model of elitist governance has reached tipping point, with ever more citizens getting economically marginalised

Imtiaz Gul February 10, 2015

The writer heads the independent Centre for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad

It may be unfair to characterise Pakistan as melting and burning from within. Dubbing it a dysfunctional state may also be an overstatement. But the current governance and the security mess are certainly direct consequences of misplaced priorities of the ruling elite, acute bureaucratic inefficiency and inertia. Additionally, the self-promoting personal interests of the predatory kith and kin surrounding the elite and the bureaucracy, do represent a bitter but unavoidable reality. The result: much-needed development moves at a snail’s pace and the political economy reeks.

The chronically sick Pakistan Steel Mills and PIA, the deeply-indebted Pakistan Railways, the so-called International Islamabad Airport, which is under construction, the lingering Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project and the Metro Bus, epitomise this crony-based, personal interest-driven insensitive style of governance.

They also reflect the rulers’ apathy to some of the urgent needs of the country. Power shortages are perennial, but look at what is happening to the 960 megawatts Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project.

Already delayed, the project, according to national press reports, is facing a massive financial crunch, and officials associated with it fear that it won’t be completed by the end of 2016.

The new Islamabad airport offers a similar story; the project was launched in April 2007 and was supposed to be completed within 30 months at a cost of Rs37 billion ($400 million). The project cost was revised in March 2012 over Rs 66 billion. Lo and behold, the Civil Aviation Authority revised the expenditures again in 2014 to Rs 95 billion with October 2016 as the promised completion date.

This also merits a mention of the current Islamabad airport. It has already been regarded as the worst in the world in terms of cleanliness, facilities and customer service.

Airports do symbolise social functionality and economic vibrancy of a country. But the first impression Islamabad gives to foreigners is that of chaos and lethargy. It is too small a place for a flight bringing hundreds of passengers.

Conditions at the departure lounge are no different either but rulers cannot imagine the plight of common passengers because they themselves route through the VIP channels in comfort. Quite similar to how they can’t imagine the pains of traffic jams in the sweltering months of summer.

Ironically, indeed, the Metro Bus, the Pakistan Steel Mills and more motorways are getting funds but extremely critical projects such as the Neelum-Jhelum and the airport projects remain cash-starved and way behind schedule.

Rulers, it seems, are hardly bothered about existential threats (power shortages) and Pakistan’s image (airport facilities) just because they live surrounded by security walls.

The curious case of the steel mill betrays a similar story. This den of corruption, inefficiency and political vested interest has received a sum of Rs18.5 billion since May 2014 as part of a bailout on the assurance from its management that it would bring the production to the level of 77 per cent by February 2015. Unfortunately, as of December, it was hardly working at 30 per cent of its production capacity. Its liabilities have already snowballed to some Rs260 billion.

Now, the management is getting ready to ask the federal government for another Rs13 billion to pay overdue salaries of its employees. The question is: why have successive governments continued to inject billions of rupees every year into a plant that is only accumulating liabilities and working at less than one-third of its capacity.

Why not privatise this profusely bleeding unit rather than sinking billions into it? A golden handshake to all employees may not cost more than Rs40 billion and the steel mill can then be sold at a symbolic price to get rid of this atrocious facility.

This political charity off the taxpayers’ money has to end someday. This dated model of elitist governance has reached a tipping point, with ever more citizens getting economically marginalised, the ever-growing youth bulge being neglected and daily suffering at the hands of a rigid bureaucracy. This status quo cannot survive for too long. The country may soon descend into an upheaval.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2015.

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COMMENTS (8)

Sexton Blake | 9 years ago | Reply @Ali S: Dear Ali, I am 80 years old and completely agree with what you have said so far. There are several major problems facing Pakistan, but they are no different from those facing the world generally. There is a glimmer of hope for the future in that the youth of today understand the problems facing us somewhat better than the media conditioned masses due to tools such as the Internet. Unfortunately, the people in power understand this and are taking steps to countermand it. When I say people in power I am not referring to the subservient elected officials. They merely implement instructions. Go overseas certainly and improve your life style. However, by the time you reach my age you may well find that your children, and certainly your grandchildren will live in a different world which has taken a distinct downturn. Just keep in mind that there is a global elite running us everywhere, and they are implementing dreadful controls via the tiptoe effect so that you are not aware of what is happening. If you want any evidence of this look at the US. 40 years ago it was the most wonderful country to live in, but not now. If you graduate in the medical world you will do well there. Just remember that every country has a Musharraf type era on a periodic basis. Best of luck.

Ali S | 9 years ago | Reply I'm a 21 year old medical student and quite frankly, I've given up hope on the current generation of leaders - civilian (yes, IK included) and otherwise (military establishment). You can't change their mindset now, it's too late. And even if somehow you did, it would take at least a few decades of sustained effort to have its effects take hold among the general population. For now, it's a lost cause and any youth who has the talent and is open-minded enough should try his chances abroad where his talents will be recognized. The best I can hope for is that within the next two decades or so as the current generation dies out, we will see politicians who grew up in a globalized world (during the post-Musharraf era), didn't have the burden of two lost wars (1965, 1971) on their minds and had their worldview shaped by international media; hopefully they will be able learn from the faults of their predecessors and invest in their future generations.

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ishrat salim | 9 years ago | Reply The fact remains that we are all responsible or the mess we are in TODAY....the state of Pakistan suffers from "denialism", roughly defined as the tendency to reject & replace it with twisted logic - illumatti, Jews, intel agencies, establishment , India, America etc; - so that on individual or collective level we can all absolve ourselves of responsibility for the plight of this blighted nation".....how is that ? Unless, we all come out from the perpetual state of denial, we cannot change the direction of our country. We also have to come out of " individual survival instinct". We cannot live to live by one self. We have to embrace " Patriotism " once...if in America, we cannot help to notice majority of public & private houses proudly flying American flag. They do not distinguish between any state. They all call themselves proud American, while we hoist & fly our flag only during some national ceremony & that too in Public / govt building....every subsequent rulers ruled to perpetuate their own self-rule & not in the interest of the country. We have half heartedly owned our country, otherwise, today we would have been in a much better position.

Uzair | 9 years ago | Reply I is for information that new airport can not be completed in Oct 2016. The CAA still has not awarded package 4 and package 9 . The estimated delivery time of the equipment in these package is one and half year. More over they have not constructed the Dam for provision of water. I can give guarantee that this airport can not be completed during tenure of PML(N) or PPP . Only reason behind this delay in my opinion is a "Powerful Land mafia who has vested interest at Rawat (Bahria Town). ".

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply You Sir have been quite charitable in your criticism ......... what is worse is that this state of affairs is not by default, it is by deliberate calculated intent.

Sajjad Ashraf | 9 years ago | Reply Imtiaz Alam sahib you are too gentle and generous. You can't be serious in denying that this is a dysfunctional state.

Jun | 9 years ago | Reply Sir Conclusion is:I and you,we are all responsible for our mentality.Are we at least brave enough to admit this criticism of ourselves,sincerely.I often read articles of Pakistanis with names,Choudarys,Maliks,this caste,that caste,who criticize the system,decorate the news with their colums like black Sakura trees with their photos,with their wit so called education and are given great platforms to express their socalled intelligence minds.You and me,we are no different,Sir.Should I call you Choudary Sahib,or what?But the facts we are all cheats.Maybe this below is not so much direct anaswer to your article above but to your and other's who write and write,and write.By the way,I am Japanese Pakistani and thus I would like to send a quotation by a film director.His name is Itami.Mansaku.

Many people say they were deceived during the last war. No one is yet to step up and say he deceived us. Civilians believe they were deceived by the military and bureaucracy, but those inside the military and bureaucracy will all point to their superiors and say they were deceived by them. I guarantee that those superiors will say they were deceived by their superiors. . . . The crime of those who were deceived lies not just in the fact that they were deceived; the core wrong was the entire nation’s cultural apathy and loss of self-awareness, self-reflections, and responsibility; the people lost their capacity to criticize, ability to think, and convictions, entrusting their whole selves to a blind obedience so completely that they were deceived just like that... A people who are content to say that they were deceived will probably be deceived over and over again

Sexton Blake | 9 years ago | Reply I am willing to accept that the economic wheels are falling off in Pakistan in areas such as airports, and certain industries to a greater degree than most Western countries. However, this would only be after a casual, initial look at the problem, and problems do abound everywhere including the Western world also, albeit not too such a great extent. I could for example write many words explaining how the US/UK/Australia are now in a parlous economic state. Having lived in Australia for some time I could explain how what was a magnificent country is on a downward slide. I personally have done quite well, but can see that my grandchildren will not fare so well. in the near future. About a year ago the Australian government brought in a tough budget and hit the sick, the elderly and the poor. Apparently everybody had to make sacrifices. I little investigation showed that Australian politicians had just given themselves a 4 million rupee pay rise, and 3 weeks later sent our children off to fight a new war in Iraq. Then they placed an order for 72 F-35 aircraft from America. The lower cost F-35s are priced at 200 million dollars. That is the equivalent of 35 new Islamabad airports. Of course, if you go down to my local public hospital the walls are filthy and anybody would touch them only with trepidation. I could write on and on about what is happening to little people such as I. We are not really interested in airports, but are vitally interested in unimportant matters such as water supply, electricity, education and health at prices we can afford. I would suggest that Governments everywhere have taken their eyes off the ball, and I do not see any realistic improvement happening any time soon. Our so called leader are too busy flying in air-force one in order to attend outrageously expensive banquets and listen to empty words which solve nothing.

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