It is time that a new social contract be written between the politico-judiciary-armed forces of the country, to develop a much better understanding of the country. Every time there is a change in the government, economy and the speed of economic-developmental comes to a halt for a few months.
The problem, is the policies of new comers which bring ‘change’ for the sake of development, and to highlight their own achievements in front of the voters. Criticism by the new government is the norm since the creation of Pakistan and will continue to be so, unless a new social contract is written.
Armed Forces keep themselves ready 24/7 and keep changing their strategy and tactics moment to moment as required by the existing internal and external threats. Armed Forces have their training institutes, schools and colleges. They have developed their own perfect system over time and hence are second to none. They have their laws and regulations, and they follow them to the ‘T’.
The judiciary also strictly follows rules and regulations to be just and fair in all areas. They strive to follow laws, so justice is available to all. If ever there is an oversight in any decision, the higher level judiciary sorts it out.
Now the question arises about training members of the National Assembly (NA) and the Senate. There are 4 members under the age of 30 in the present Assembly besides the old ones. Some are from Islamabad and the major cities, while others belong to remote areas. There are members who do not attend any NA meetings, whereas a few are active in front of the media. However, there is also a chunk, who just keep increasing their salaries and allowances over the 5 year period. Imagine the expenses incurred, and the burden they are on Pakistan.
The problem, is the policies of new comers which bring ‘change’ for the sake of development, and to highlight their own achievements in front of the voters. Criticism by the new government is the norm since the creation of Pakistan and will continue to be so, unless a new social contract is written
Keeping the aforementioned issues in mind, politicians should also be trained. Hence, there is a dire need to equally divide the National Assembly, Provincial Assembly and the Senate seats amongst doctors, engineers, scientists, lawyers etc. A variation of professionals occupying such seats will increase institutional productivity.
Each project initiated by the political party must be completed at least three months before the new election calendar. If any one does not complete the project, they must be fined and barred from entering the new elections. And in the case of a mega project, it must be put before the parliament in detail and only those already approved can continue after the tenure of that government has ended.
There is also a dire need for intra-institutional dialogue, between the Armed Forces, Judiciary, the National Assembly and the Senate. This will remove any differences of opinion and develop better understanding. Moreover, think tanks are extremely important to raise questions and find solutions to recurring problems. They diligently follow the progress of projects to observe their success or the challenges and then they work towards finding viable solutions.
I must mention here, how the most successful empires like the Mughals and the Ottomans had think tanks to resolve issues which states men could not. All developed countries especially the US and the Europe, still depend on the suggestions of their think tanks, therefore Pakistan should also keep a few seats for specialists of think tank institutions in all law making institutions. Change cannot come without bringing about some basic reforms and restructuring institutions. Also, it must be compulsory for parliamentary members to attend all meetings.
Furthermore, in order to free institutions from political pressure, we need to make a plan which distributes power in such a way so that the institutions are beyond coercion.
Military experts, judges, politicians, bureaucrats, traders, teachers, scientists and people from all walks of life, should participate in the nation building process. For this talk shows, seminars, conferences etc, must be held in all districts of the country.
Field Marshal Ayub Khan called the ‘Agriculture Reforms’ a great success, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto claimed that land reforms were the true achievement. However, a walk through history shows that the biggest achievement are the water reforms, because of which dams are being built.
Times and rules have changed a lot as the world has become a global village. Only a new social contract can unite the institutions of the country, and then we can prosper and achieve economic stability.
The writer is a Phd and a former economic and commercial analyst. He can be reached at [email protected]
Published in Daily Times, September 5th 2018.