In the 1990s, Pakistan stood as one of South Asia's wealthiest nations. Today, it finds itself among the region's poorest. In 1995, Pakistan ranked six spots ahead of India and 18 spots ahead of Bangladesh on the United Nations Human Development Index. Shockingly, it now lags 29 places behind India and 32 behind Bangladesh. This sharp decline demands a critical look at the root cause: has our governance system deteriorated to the point of dysfunction?
The responsibilities of provincial governments in Pakistan are vital. They include ensuring healthcare, education, law enforcement, and urban services such as clean water, waste management, and road maintenance. However, their performance in these areas reflects a grim reality.
Take healthcare as an example. Pakistan holds the world's second-highest infant mortality rate. Around 40% of children suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition, while 17% of children and 42% of women face anemia caused by iron deficiency.
The situation in education is equally alarming. Approximately 78% of ten-year-olds in Pakistan cannot read two simple sentences in any language. An estimated 26 million children are out of school, and those who attend often face poor educational standards.
The challenges extend to law enforcement. Policing is widely perceived as inefficient and corrupt. Instead of ensuring public safety, it is often viewed as a source of harassment and mistrust.
Urban services fare no better. For instance, most residents in Karachi lack access to piped water and must rely on expensive tanker services controlled by profiteering mafias. In Lahore, hazardous air quality often makes the city unsafe to breathe for weeks. Garbage collection is virtually nonexistent outside privileged neighborhoods, and open sewage drains are a common sight across urban areas. While a few VIP routes and motorways are maintained in Punjab, the general state of roads remains deplorable nationwide.
Despite these glaring inefficiencies, provincial governments are allocated vast sums - Rs12,000 billion annually, or Rs50,000 rupees per taxpayer. However, much of this funding is lost to wasteful expenditures and poor management, leaving little to address the actual needs of the people.
The federal government's performance is equally disheartening. Pakistan's electricity and gas rates are among the highest globally. Meanwhile, state-owned enterprises such as PIA and Pakistan Railways continue to incur massive losses. For example, PIA recorded a Rs88 billion loss in 2022, with taxpayers effectively subsidising 20,000 rupees per passenger. Similarly, Railways, despite witnessing a steady decline in passenger numbers, requires subsidies of Rs3,700 per traveler. Collectively, state-owned enterprises will drain over Rs750 billion this year.
So, how do we move forward?
The answer lies in bold and comprehensive reforms. One crucial step is decentralising governance. Responsibilities like education, water, and sanitation should be transferred to district-level administrations, while health, policing, and infrastructure should be managed at the divisional level. Federal funds must flow directly to these districts and divisions, bypassing provincial governments to ensure accountability and localized decision-making.
Provincial governments, in turn, must be streamlined. The number of ministries should be reduced to ten, while the federal government should operate with no more than 15 ministries.
Tax reforms are also essential. Reducing income and sales taxes can alleviate the burden on citizens, while lowering electricity and gas rates will provide much-needed relief to households and industries. In education, establishing school boards to manage public schools, offering free meals for underprivileged children, and providing scholarships for talented students can significantly improve outcomes.
It is high time to adopt a model rooted in individual freedom, social justice and smaller, more effective governments, shirking the colonial-era governance system that prioritises the elite over the masses.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ