Daily Times

After two days, the nation will celebrate its seventy-second Independence Day with the hope that the new government is going to bring the much-needed reforms in all spheres of governance and fix chronic maladies, so that Pakistan can be transformed into an egalitarian state. It is an undeniable fact that after seven decades of independence, the ruling elites of Pakistan — militro-judicial-civil complex, businessmen-turned politicians and absentee landowners — have pushed the country into great turmoil.

Despite becoming a nuclear state, we are ensnared in a deadly debt trap where majority of the population lacks even the basic amenities of life. Wealth and power is concentrated in a few hands and overwhelming burden of taxes, shifted on the less-privileged. The elitist economy favours the rich and mighty — with every passing day the rich-poor divide is widening. This paradox depicts what Zulfikar Ali Bhutto highlighted in his masterpiece, Myth of Independence.

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Our oppressive economic system protects and promotes interests of the exploitative classes in utter violation of Article 3 of the Constitution. Since its inception, Pakistan nurtured an exploitative system, which has been gaining strength and presently, all forms of exploitation and repression are so deeply rooted that they are even taking away the guaranteed “right to life” from the poor, what to talk of fulfilling the promise mentioned in Article 3: “The State shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation and the gradual fulfilment of the fundamental principle, from each according to his ability, to each according to his work”.

It was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who for the first time, thought of including in the Constitution, the socialist slogan of “from each according to his ability to each according to his work”. It was considered the lower stage of communism with Marx’s contention, “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”. Karl Marx had specific conditions in mind for such a creed to work in a society where technology and social organisation would substantially eliminate the need for physical labour in the production of goods, where “labour becomes not only a means of life but life’s prime want”.

Marx explained that in such a society, each person would be motivated to work for the good of society, despite the absence of a social mechanism compelling them to work, because work would become a pleasurable and creative activity. Marx intended the initial part of his slogan, “from each according to his ability” to suggest not merely that each person should work as hard as he/she can, but that each person should best develop his/her particular talents.

After reading Article 3, students ask: “Sir can the constitutional command of gradual elimination of all forms of exploitation be enforced through courts using Article 184(3)”? They ask why the Supreme Court, taking wholesale “so motu” actions, does not go for the enforcement of fundamental rights like free and compulsory education and fulfilment of the principle laid down in Article 3 of the Constitution.

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Unfortunately as a nation we have collectively failed to abide by the supreme law of the land. Theoretically, all admit that the Constitution is supreme and each organ of the state has to perform its duties and functions in accordance with the constitutional scheme, but practically unelected institutions dictate their commands. Resultantly, we all are disillusioned, after 71 years of existence.

The laws that our judiciary interprets and protects with zeal, in fact, ensure “sanctity of private property” and “exploitation of the have-nots”. The judiciary is not a revolutionary organ — it is a product of the existing socio-economic system, which works for the interests of the privileged classes. It is naive to expect anything avant-garde from the judiciary. For getting socio-economic justice, people have to wage relentless struggle and exert pressure on elected representatives.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI from 2013-18 showed no intentions to tax the privileged classes

Imran Khan, head of Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), in his victory speech of July 26, 2018, vowed to make Pakistan a welfare state. He did not mention implementation of Article 3 of the Constitution as a starting point or abolition of the existing tax system, which is highly unjust and oppressive. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI from 2013-18 showed no intention to tax the privileged classes. The oppressive tax system blatantly violates Article 3 of the Constitution as the vast majority pays exorbitant indirect and taxes while the mighty sections of society — the big absentee landowners, industrialists, judges, generals and bureaucrats — are amassing wealth and enjoying unprecedented tax exemptions.

Income inequalities are widening — resources are being transferred from the poor to the rich through manipulative taxes. The exploitative classes, even mafias, fund politicians. The anti-people alliance of the greedy businessmen, tax officials and politicians deprive the state of revenue worth billions. The mighty sections of society are engaged in tax evasion and money laundering. PTI, winning elections on anti-corruption campaign, should now work to dismantle anti-people, elitist structures and provide equitable distribution of wealth/resources as envisaged in Article 3 of the Constitution.

The burgeoning fiscal deficit and monstrous debt burden are not isolated phenomena. These are results of failure in: undertaking fundamental structural reforms, enforcing fiscal discipline, cracking down on parallel economy, increasing tax collection, abolishing perks and benefits of the ruling elites, eliminating wasteful expenses, dismantling rent-seeking structures, ensuring rule of law, and stopping reckless borrowing and ruthless spending.

Resource mobilisation should be the top priority of the new government to build infrastructure, facilitate growth of small and medium sized firms in the industrial sector and efficient/productive farming for an employment intensive and equitable economic growth process. To end economic apartheid, large corporations with equity stakes for the poor be established through public-private partnerships. This would set the stage for a structural change that could help achieve economic growth for the people and by the people which is presently confined to the elites only.

The most disturbing and painful reality of Pakistan is shameless indulgence of the ruling elites. Look at their lifestyle when the majority of population is undernourished. For becoming economically self-reliant nation, the rulers will have to take the first step by starting to live at a modest level. True independence requires self-reliance for which fundamental reforms are inevitable. There is no dearth of ideas and good people for such reforms. We only lack political will to abolish elitist structures that are the main impediments for ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens and extending to common people benefits of public spending and economic growth.

The writer, Advocate Supreme Court, is Adjunct Faculty at LUMS. Email: ikram@huzaimaikram.com; Twitter: @drikramulhaq

Published in Daily Times, August 12^th 2018.