Sir: It is 70 years since our independence but we have not been able to strengthen our institutions to a desired level. Rather, we have done everything to destroy them for the attainment of our vested interests. There is hardly an institution within our country we can proudly mention. The successive federal/provincial governments have not bothered to improve and strengthen the institutions of the country for effective delivery by the system. Institutions such as Pakistan Railways, Pakistan Steel Mill, Sui Southern/Northern Gas Companies, Pakistan International Airlines, WAPDA, federal and provincial tax collecting departments, police, health and education departments, lower judiciary, federal and provincial investigation agencies such as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the anti-corruption federal and provincial civil service — all stand destroyed and rotten. Out of turn promotions of inefficient and duffer officers, involvement of government employees in massive corruption in their respective departments, lack of accountability of the authorities concerned against misdeeds, recruitment of persons on political basis, favouritism in transfers and postings are some of the examples that clearly indicate that the institutions of the country have become so weak that they have failed to check all that is happening here. It is perhaps because of the reason that individuals have been made stronger than the institutions. A strong and disciplined institution does not allow even a head of that institution to bypass its authority and forces him/her to remain within his/her assigned task/limit. If we have to strengthen our institutions, we must stop strengthening persons working there. Rather, we must introduce such laws and a framework in these institutions that discourage the monopoly of one person and the system keeps on functioning smoothly even after the transfer/retirement of the head of an institution. Persons come and go but it is the institution that remains for effective delivery without really waiting for another person to be posted there. ABDUL SAMAD SAMO Karachi