The newly elected cabinet held its first-ever meeting, presided over Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and took a holistic review of the national affairs, discussing future courses and modalities to steer the country out of prevailing chaotic situations. As said, trillions of rupees were being evaded by the mafias due to undocumented transactions, lax legislation, and an informal economy. The cabinet decided that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would be completely digitized as soon as possible to avoid tax evasion.
Meanwhile, Rs 2.4 trillion worth of tax cases were currently pending either in the tribunals or in the courts which need to be concluded as early as possible. The Premier told the cabinet that the country faces annual power theft of around Rs 500 billion which was alarming and needs to be stopped immediately. The Prime Minister directed the authorities to draw a list of honest and efficient officers to encourage them and acknowledge their services. On the other hand, the prime minister vowed to take strict action against the officers involved in corrupt practices.
The current portrait of the country depicts a gruesome picture of national affairs in which each sector is downtrodden and each institution is fragile, demanding reform and support from the government to carry out its normal functioning. Institutional losses, mismanagement, and non-productiveness are common problems of all government entities, that further add to the government woes and public issues instead of solving those impediments. In fact, institutional corruption and dishonesty are the two major issues of the country that eroded its foundations and caused unimaginable damage to our nation.
Historically, Corruption has long been a pervasive issue in Pakistan, permeating various sectors of society and hindering progress and development. From government institutions to private enterprises, its detrimental effects have undermined public trust, impeded economic growth, and perpetuated inequality in our society. The menace of corruption has been fueled by multiple factors, including political instability, weak institutions, inadequate transparency, a lack of accountability mechanisms, and socio-economic disparities. The nexus of power and privilege often leads to the abuse of authority for personal gain.
Moreover, feudal culture and political legacies have contributed to a tolerance for corruption, making it entrenched within the fabric of society. Currently, Corruption and misgovernance have been identified as big challenges that gave birth to cartelization and spoiled each nook and corner of our national life. The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranked Pakistan 29 out of 100 countries with no improvement in the past decade.
Pakistan continues to face significant challenges and several mechanisms including the creation of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, National Ombudsman Office, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), anti-corruption Courts, etc. largely failed in satisfying the national needs rather those institutions themselves fell victim to similar evils, grinding down public trust in the country. The government structure is badly marred by rampant bribery, nepotism, embezzlement, and favoritism and the writ of the law is absent across various sectors of national life.
Historically, multiple strategies have been implemented to reset national institutions wherein the Army was deployed to overcome electricity theft, Air Force generals were deployed in the PIA to enhance its operational efficiency and overcome its fiscal losses, etc. but all those measures could not prove their worth. Instead of drawing lists of loyal and dishonest bureaucrats, the government must endeavor to establish the writ of the law, stern accountability, and ensure merit and transparency all across the board which is essential for any civilized, developed, and trustworthy nation. Otherwise, a selective approach and ad-hoc measures neither resolve our long-held issues nor transition our society into a successful nation.
