Merit must prevail

Few forces have eroded Pakistan's institutions as deeply as corruption. It has blurred the line between public duty and personal gain, leaving the state uncertain of its own purpose. The IMF's latest governance review is unambiguous to state that meaningful reform cannot take root until leadership of key government institutions is based on merit, not convenience.

The report flags 10 government entities at highest risk of graft, urging transparent and competitive appointments. Among them are the National Accountability Bureau, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Competition Commission - organisations tasked with safeguarding integrity but now enmeshed in influence. When the custodians of accountability lose credibility, the very framework of governance begins to fracture. Corruption in Pakistan is a culture that thrives where the law is flexible and accountability negotiable. It stretches from the corridors of power to routine civic interactions, determining who gets favours, who is ignored and who must pay to be noticed. This normalisation of wrongdoing has hollowed out merit, reducing governance to a transactional exercise. The IMF's recommendations are therefore neither punitive nor external impositions. They are pragmatic steps to restore trust. The Fund calls for public reporting on anti-corruption progress, greater autonomy for the Auditor General, and a restructuring of the FBR to curb discretionary power. Each measure is a national necessity and what Pakistan lacks is not advice but resolve.

Merit-based appointments are not mere procedural fixes. They are the difference between governance that serves citizens and governance that serves itself. Without a commitment to integrity over loyalty, no financial package or external audit can restore credibility. If the country is serious about reform, it must ensure that merit prevails - not occasionally, not selectively, but always. Unless and until it does, talk of governance and accountability will remain hollow.