KARACHI:
Institutional reforms require an overhaul of the entire system, which is one of the reasons why it is difficult to change any institution in Pakistan. There are powerful forces at work maintaining the status quo. The distribution of political power, nature of economic institutions and the role of reforming forces are predetermined. To implement institutional reforms, the government must focus on political institutions and party leaders should work cooperatively to strengthen institutions under a democratic structure.
The incumbent government has attempted to reform different sectors and institutes through several measures. However, none of these efforts has been entirely successful because of the rift between the government and the opposition. The Single National Curriculum (SNC) is one example of the challenges faced by the sitting government. The provinces under the ruling party agreed to implement it, but Sindh has opposed it. Similarly, the PTI government also attempted to reform the electoral process and implement digital voting to ensure free and fair elections and increase voter turnout. Unfortunately, the opposition strongly opposed the government’s move to digitise the elections.
The pace, sequencing and implementation of structural reforms depend upon the consensus amongst political parties. Pakistan is already experiencing an economic crisis because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, poor security, deteriorating law and order, shortages of basic amenities, and rise in injustices can all be traced to institutional decay and government deficit. To strengthen institutions, the bureaucracy must remain vigilant of public servants at both provincial and federal levels. Provinces must coordinate and cooperate with one another. More importantly, the private sector should operate in a competitive market environment to maintain a high standard of corporate governance. To bring institutional reforms, the government needs to reinstate political equilibrium because it will pave the way for cooperation between the government and the opposition. Only after political stability is achieved, will there be room for economic and social reforms.
Ishtiaq Wazir
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2021.
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