Corruption in Pakistan; Causes and Consequences

Outline

1. Introduction

Thesis Statement; Corruption in Pakistan is what termite is to wood, what wildfire is to a forest and
what Covid is to a human life; it's impact detrimental to the very survival. However, like every
disease there exists a remedy to address it.

2. Overview of corruption in Pakistan; How Bad is the Wound according to Statistics?

1. Transparency International 2021; 124/180 in Corruption

2. Corruption Perception Index; Rank 32 – Score: 2.3/10
3. Greenwatch; 8th on risk-index
4. World Economic Forum; Global Competitiveness Report; 2.3/7
5. NAB files illegal allotment of 581 plots in Gwadar
6. Military and Judiciary are resisting transparency and accountability
7. Wheat, Sugar scarcity scandals in 2020

2. Socio-Economic and Political crisis will keep shaking Pakistan until the demise of CORRUPTION.

1. Unchecked corruption has mired the governance in Pakistan

 Financial Malpractice
 Mega scams; Ephedrine, Ogra, Panama
 Nepotism and Lack of Transparency
 Neo-Liberal Idea of ‘Good Governance’ depends on Public Sector Dev

2. Loss of public-development due to embezzlements is preventing progress.

 Enhancing operational cost

 Long-delays in Public Infrastructure development
 Violation of Public Procurement Laws

3. Impediments in FDI due to investor insecurities is preventing economic-development.

 Corruption negatively affects international-image of Pakistan

 Corruption devalues a state’s capacity to promise and implement projects.

4. Loan dependency and constant need for foreign aid perpetuates the bubble-burst economy.

5. Fiscal Deficit eating away resources for social-development programs

 Loss to national exchequer is Approx. Rs200 Billion annually due to corruption

6. Non-State actors perpetrate Insurgency due to scourge of corruption

 NADRA Scandal of Bogus-Citizenship to Terrorist Entities

 Pro-Active role of Customs, Police could prevent major-damage

7. Corruption fuels the Federation-crisis in Pakistan

 Centre-Province fight for resources due to budget deficit

8. Widespread Corruption is creating uncertainty in Private-Sector Development

  Local Businesses have to deal with nepotism and bribery-culture.
 Fluctuation in Prices and Uncertainty of Future prevents Investments

9. Politics of Patronage and Kinship-culture has given birth to corruption in form of nepotism.

 Kinship-System at the cost of rational-bureaucratic entity accountable to people

 Undermined meritocracy and favoritism at the cost of State-Resources
 Corruption in Electoral Process channels Corruption in State-Policies

10. Corruption is aggravating the crisis of Food-Security followed by artificial scarce and overprising.

11. Corruption is killing people with sub-standard Highrise Buildings all over the country.

 Illegal permits from Building Control Authority and neglect to monitoring

 Karachi’s scandal of unauthorized Skyscrappers

12. Corruption is an enemy to the healthy ecosystem

 Encroachment on rivers, streams, drainage-systems and severage-lines

 Supreme Court Anti-Encroachment Drive

3. Factors exaggerating the causes of corruption in Pakistan

1. Anti-Corruption Establishments are the most corrupt sector in Pakistan

 Hamid Khan in Constitutional & Political History of Pakistan

 Transparency Index Surveys
 Obvious failure of NAB and Provincial Anti-Corruption Establishments to do anything

2. Accountability has only been an instrument of Political Vendetta in Pakistan

3. Highly centralized economic system

 Regulated Economic Activity creates possibility of bribery

 Inequality of income between different strata of society
 Influence of privileged class snubs the weaker

4. Political Instability and Absence of Rule of Law

5. Tax evasion multiplies the budget deficit and revenue for future development.

 World Bank Report; Conspiracy b/w Tax Officer and Payer to evade payment.
 Shadow Economy exclusive to calculation of GDP

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4. Say NO to corruption – Measures to counter the disease of corruption in Pakistan

1. Ruthless Accountability; Spare NOBODY! An end to IMPUNITY

2. Education and Ethical Counselling; The Youth is the future!

3. Transparent, Vibrant and Investigative role of Media; Expose it All!

4. Reforms in Public Administration and Financial Management

 Digitalizing the functions of State Institution

 Disclosure of Budget Information to Public
 Transparency and Access of Information

5. Ensuring of Public Procurement Rules and Make it Auditable

 E-Procurement to tackle favoritism and preventing rigged-tenders

 Empowering Audit Agencies through Legislation

5. Conclusion

The history of the world is not stranger to the idea of corruption. It's roots widespread in all social,
political, economic forms has existed throughout the recorded history. Pakistan is no exception to
the disease of corruption. It would be an understatement to say corruption is one of the major
issues of Pakistan. Truly, it would only be right to assert that corruption is the only major issue of
Pakistan. As a matter of fact, Corruption in Pakistan is what termite is to wood, what wildfire is to a
forest and what Covid is to a human life; it's impact detrimental to the very survival. However, like
every disease there exists a remedy to address it. No doubt, socio-economic and political crisis of
Pakistan can only be solved with the demise of corruption. To enumerate, corruption is steering
force behind misgovernance of state affairs and an opposition to its developmental progress.
Internationally, it has been the root-cause behind impediments to FDI and resultant loan-dependent
nature of economy. In addition, corruption is eating away chunks of grand-canyon size of its fiscal-
reserves and opening the flux of extremism and insurgency within the state. Moreover, the historic
federation-crisis have remained historically unresolved due to corruption followed by uncertainty,
nepotism, and hunger among the masses. Similarly, like termite to wood, corruption is killing the
people and the ecosystem of such a gifted resource-rich nation that is Pakistan. Ironically, state's
instruments of countering the menace of corruption suffer from corruption and misguided priorities.
There is no doubt a highly centralized economic system, turbulent political stability and de facto
absence of rule of law only play the part of a catalyst. Notwithstanding the crucial state of
corruption, Pakistan can revitalize its integrity, prosperity, and sovereignty with the power of
ruthless accountability, education, and a transparent role of media. On top of that, it needs a
revamp of public administration and financial management. It must ensure all rules implemented
and accounts audited. Finally, the damage of corruption is structural and lethal which is detrimental
for the survival of Pakistan. Hence, without immediate, de jure and pragmatic measures, the future
of Pakistan is at stake and corruption is the termite which is eating it alive.
National Integration; a dream gone sour.

1. Introduction

 “We are now all Pakistanis — not Balochis, Pathans, Sindhis, Bengalis, Punjabis and so on — and as
Pakistanis we must feel, behave and act, and we should be proud to be known as Pakistanis and
nothing else’. Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah June 15, 1948

2. Assessment of efforts of Nation-Building and National Integration since 1947.

Current situation: National Integration in Pakistan only comes out of coma because of India or
natural disaster and falls into the abyss of fragmentation once the threat is gone.

3. Causes behind the rifts in the dream of National-Integration; What went wrong?

1. Burden of State-Building at the age of infancy in 1947 – Nation-Building ignored.

2. Crisis of Democracy and resultant discontinuity in emergence of Democratic norms.

3. Economic disparity and developmental inequality among federating-units.

4. Legitimacy of State and Public’s mistrust in State apparatus.

5. Emergence of separatist movements and ethnic-politics in Pakistan.

6. Hybrid Warfare and International Proxy efforts behind disintegrating Pakistan.

7. The fault in our stars; State’s failure to curb deficiencies in its efficiency to deliver.

8. Crisis of Federation and Centre-Province conflicts fueling the fragmentation of society.

9. National Integration is not possible without uniformity in federation-units.

10. Excessive corruption mars the process of socio-political integration of society.

11. Pakistan needs to curb the regional fragmentation on ethnic, lingual and religious grounds.

12. National-integration is in a boxing-ring against extremism and confused National-Identity.

4. Way forward to build a National Consensus and Unity in Pakistan; One Identity, One Nation!

1. No National-Integration without Socio-Political and Economic Development on Equity Basis.

2. But, No development can possibly be manifested without the immediate war on corruption.

3. Thus, Killing the menace of corruption will only be a reality when there is a genuine democratic
setup.

4. However, Democracy can not emerge in Pakistan to unite its fragmented society into a Nation
without Education.

5. Infact, Only education can prevent resentment, marginalization and thus bring National-
Integration.

5. Conclusion
The people of Pakistan should wonder how Quaid-e-Azam M.A Jinnah would react to the sorry state
of Pakistan today. How he would sigh in disbelief at a society fragmented and astray from its
national identity. The very words of Quaid, "We are now all Pakistanis; Not Baloch, Pathan, Sindhi,
Bengali, Punjabi and so on" were supposed to be the footprints to follow. Shamefully, Quaid's dream
of national integration and a Pakistani identity has gone sour. Even so, A nation like a child turning its
head away from its father. Unfortunate as an orphan child, the nation fell into the abyss of crisis in
its infancy. It was burdened with State-Building and a perpetual crisis of democracy; both left
footprints in the form of disintegration like nothing else. Further engulfing the national unity were
the disparity and inequality of development. Consequently, the nation fell victim to a trust deficit
and rise of separatist movements on ethnic grounds. In addition, a disaster in the form of
international efforts to disintegrate Pakistan and capitalize on it's deficiencies widened the gap. As a
result, for decades Pakistan has only been dreaming of unity due to crisis of federation and diversity.
Not to mention, a whole wave of corruption turned every effort upside down to curb the regional
fragmentation on ethnic and lingual grounds. Truly, the tale of Pakistan is a boxing match between
extremism and a confused National-Identity. Notwithstanding the horrors of crumbling
disintegration, the dream of One Identity, One Nation is achievable. In fact, no force of any
magnitude can keep a child away from its father. The dream as envisaged by Quaid of a national-
integration can still be achieved. But, it is only possible if the state addresses the crisis of unequal
development and leave no bullet unfired at the menace of corruption. Thus, only the death of
corruption will manifest the unifying clouds of democracy in Pakistan. However, a nation as
fragmented as Pakistan needs to be dealt with the coupling force of Education and Pakistan. Only
and only then, a nation can emerge out of a chaos of resentment and marginalization. Indeed,
Quaid's dream of national integration has gone sour. However, the unity and emergence of a
Pakistani nation will bring that dream back alive. At last, the nation needs to remember what it's
father had dreamt for it, honor that dream and live that dream.
Crisis of Federalism in Pakistan; Cause and Consequences

1. Introduction

Thesis statement: the reasons crisis of federation lie in its own policies, and policy it needs to work
upon.

2. Historic overview of crisis of Federalism since 1947 til 2021.

3. Post-Mortem of crisis of Federalism in Pakistan

A, Pakistan emerged and disintegrated on account of same-reason; Provincial Autonomy.

B, Pakistan has still not learnt the lessons of history; the causes of 71 tragedy still persist.

C, Pakistan will never be able to solve the federation crisis without economic development.

D, Centre-Province conflict will never end; who would Provinces blame for their inefficiency?

E, 18th Amendment was the first-step to revitalize Federation; dismal implementation in reality.

F, Criticism of NFC Award’s rigidity; backward Provinces need a lifeline of support for revival.

G, Ethnic Nationalism is reflecting Federal Authority’s incompetence to resolve their issues.

H, Military solution to socio-political and economic grievances is what fuel is to fire.

4. Legislative-Medicine to revive, stabilize and cement the structure of Federation in Pakistan

A, A complete overhaul in Tax Administration will solve the Centre-Provinces cry for resources.

B, Local Government will allow participation and empowerment of people to avoid ethnic-cries.

C, Provinces need to be bound with Fiscal-Accountability followed by Fiscal-Autonomy.

D, Devolve the redundant federal-ministries and implement devolution in true spirit.

E, Revitalize the role of Council of Common Interest and form its Permanent Secretariat.

F, Creation of new provinces is the need of the hour; only solution to end ethnic-politics.

G, National Economic Council needs mandatory, not recommendatory, representation of Units.

H, Pluralistic approach to address dissenting voices; Bottom-Up Solution.

5. Conclusion
Pakistan surely won independence from imperial forces in 1949, but it has yet to be free. It has yet
to be free from the legacy of a colonial rule, which was centered around a Centre-rule. Like a ghost,
the horrors of colonial-authoritarianism still haunt the corridors of bicameral legislative houses of
Pakistan. To demonstrate, the crisis of federalism in Pakistan and a suicidal person jumping off a cliff
are no different than one another. They both know they are off to death, yet the only step they take
is forward. Hence, the reasons crisis of federation lay in its own policies, and policy it needs to work
upon. Ironically, Pakistan emerged and disintegrated for the same reason of federation-crisis in
1971. It appears, the nation has yet to learn its lesson from its mistakes of authoritarianism and crisis
of economic disaster because of it. No doubt, the issue of federation is heavily succumbed to
political propaganda; covering the voids of failures provincial governments wish not to expose. As
applauding as it is, 18th amendment seems to be the first step in seven decades to meet the design
laid down in Objective Resolution of 1949, only in letter and not in spirit. Similarly, the all-praised
instrument of resource distribution, the rigid criterion of NFC seems to be preventing the heartbeat
of KP and Balochistan revival. With cherry on top, Pakistan has tried the most counter-productive
measure to address its crisis of federation, military suppression. Nevertheless, every flawed policy
can be countered with a flawless policy, policy of Federation. To counter the damage, firstly Pakistan
needs to address the nerve of the issue, tax administration and devolution of power at local level.
Secondly, it must not neglect the need for fiscal-accountability and immediately get rid of speed-
breakers slowing progress down, redundant ministries. Moreover, it should revive the role of 18th
Amendment with creation of new provinces on administrative grounds. To the very dissatisfaction of
power-hunger in the dining room of federal authorities, the role of CCI and NEC needs urgent utility.
Lastly, Pakistan needs to know if it does not, a nation born out of a number of nations can only be
united through a pluralistic approach, not assimilation. Any use of force will only push one segment
of society away. For the crisis of federation in Pakistan, democracy is the solution, federation is the
way.