Reforming the legislators

ISLAMABAD: Raza Rumi’s article, “Reforming the legislators” (July 2) makes very convincing arguments. ‘Systemic failure’ resulting from the direct and indirect rule of unelected institutions has become the norm. The near religious belief in the social engineering capacity of the state’s military-bureaucratic apparatus damages the political system. And federal institutions of the state endure harm as local thugs affiliated with the establishment are incorporated in governance structures in the name of national integration. Mr Rumi gives an appropriate suggestion: instead of calling for mid-term elections, the politicians aligned with the establishment should put their house in order first.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2010.