Daily Times

Investment in peace is better than hatemongering and war. A day will dawn to unchain the oppressed and grant them opportunity to exercise their right of self-determination. The forces of true justice will prevail. India will witness end to its own injustice and state terrorism. It is time for the United Nations to implement its own resolutions on Kashmir.

Don’t be surprised, national development and corruption go together. Strictest anti-corruption laws, their management and application negatively impact the pace of economic development which ultimately affects the performance of the government as well as the private sector enterprises. However, corrupt practices laws are necessary. There is need to define crimes against the purity of elections and prohibiting under penalties the purchase of votes, bribery, personation or the procurement of personation, treating, betting on elections, excessive campaign expenditures, campaign contribution from business houses or corporations, any campaign contribution above a maximum set by law, failure to report campaign expenditures, or other acts tending to bring undue influence upon the electorate.

An efficient, smart government should be free from the influence of demagogues (politicians who lack moral scruple and who attempt to gain popular favor by flattery, false promises, and appeals to the prejudices or passions of the mob) who are a major source of corruption. True democracy described as government by consent and political equality has no space for demagogues and cheats. It should aim at removing all inequalities and promoting reconciliation.

When serious matters are handled non-seriously and petty politics comes into action it only adds to the tensions that already exist between the ruling party and the opposition. Point-scoring is not the solution for a calm-down so necessary for a way forward. It certainly in bad taste to discuss the court-decisions and compare the same with what had been earlier discussed in the parliament.

Why create fuss if the court did not ask for submitting the 7-Billion surety bond that was demanded by the federal government in context of permission to the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad on medical grounds for the next four weeks. Political parties are supposed to compete for better performance and not to engage in petty politics. PTI definitely need to follow positive approach which surely is not an animosity against the opposition party and its leader. If the court is satisfied then the government must not intervene.

An effective democratic government has to ensure that the system of checks and balances remains operative and dynamic for the sake of justice and fair play. We have to trust our judicial system. For the same reason an enabling culture is essential

The fact and the impression that the government was looking to block medical treatment for its fiercest opponents is not a good perception management and a good look for the ruling party. For a neutral stand on all important issues regarding the opposition parties’ leadership the ruling party cannot be accepted as the judge and the jury. An effective democratic government has to ensure that the system of checks and balances remains operative and dynamic for the sake of justice and fair play. We have to trust our judicial system. For the same reason an enabling culture is essential.

As long there is an environment of distrust and nothing is seriously done about it, I am afraid, we cannot expect to be moving on the path to progress and visible performance to improve national economy and politics,. Perhaps, we need meaningful reforms, structural and functional reforms to get out of the mess. Politicization and personalization has taken the country and its institutions to extreme negativities. It is sad that prejudices, fears and hate have taken us on a dangerous course. All politicians, bureaucrats, diplomats, business community and academics need to re-think of the required positive and soft image of Pakistan.

We have to put our own house in order so that we can objectively project and reflect on what we need for ourselves and our brethren in Kashmir. Simply complaining will not do any good. We must appreciate the opinion, ” What do we want the world to do for us”, especially once we ourselves are not ready to take any further action steps to alleviate the difficulties we are fully aware of. The global conscience must awake and respond to human tragedy in Kashmir because of Indian brutalities and serious crimes against women and children. Extremist terrorists approach of Modi government is now openly working on ethnic and religious cleansing in Kashmir with full force of politics of hate. Muslims in Indian are not safe in the face of Indian attitude and malice.

The writer is former Director National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) Government of Pakistan, a political analyst, a public policy expert