Crisis of Good Governance in Pakistan by Dr. Quratul Ain

By Dr. Quratul Ain Malik (ITG)

Introduction
Good governance is a prerequisite for social harmony, public order, political stability, economic prosperity and certainty about future. It delivers the fruit of progress and development evenly to all and sundry. Good governance is required at all levels of society and state.


Essentials of good governance
1. Promotion of national cohesion
2. National integration
3. Institutional supremacy
4. Independent judiciary
5. Constitutional supremacy
6. Rule of law
7. Political stability
8. Educational opportunities
9. Socio-economic development
10. Equal distribution of resources
11. Welfare state with provision of social securities
12. Strong writ of the government on all fronts

Situation of governance in Pakistan
1. Forces of disintegration -- stronger than forces of cohesion
2. Weak writ of the government
3. Absence of independent judiciary
4. No rule of law
5. Political instability
6. Interprovincial conflicts
7. Unequal distribution of resources
8. Pakistan presenting a picture of extreme bad governance on all national fronts

Causes

Political causes
1. Parliament, a toothless tiger
2. Political instability due to constant military interference
3. Issue of provincialism on revenue, resources and demand of provincial autonomy

Administrative causes
1. Bureaucratic hold on all institutions
2. Political interference on bureaucracy
3. Corruption, mother of all evils
4. Absence of culture of accountability
5. Mismanagement of resources
6. Pakistan, a soft state because of inability of implementation of policies due to lack of consensus

Economic causes 
1. Fragile economy - FDI shrinking on account of terrorism and political instability
2. Crisis of energy, food, water
3. Corruption from top to bottom creating burden on the government exchequer

Social causes
1. Poverty – 40 per cent population living below the poverty line (UN reports) 
2. Over population -16.6 crore ( Economic Survey of Pakistan 2009)
3. Illiteracy leading to socio-economic backwardness

Remedies
1. Pakistan is in dire need of truly capable leadership
2. Strong anti-corruption campaigns strengthening National Accountability Bureau
3. Strict accountability of all government servants in particular and common masses in general
4. Investment in socio-economic development
5. Allocation of seven per cent GDP for education
6. Three per cent for population control
7. Three per cent for poverty alleviation
8. Generation of new employment opportunities
9. Equal distribution of resources
10. Ensuring freedom of press