Pakistan: Intolerable corruption

Can the four-member ministerial committee find truth in the reports that over the last few years Pakistan has made unprecedented progress in the field of official corruption and by virtue of that stellar success it now stands in the line of the world's most corrupt countries - we have our doubts. This is a mission impossible and cannot be achieved, not because a 15-day deadline given to it 'to look into these reports, dig out facts and give proposals to improve the perception' is too close or the committee is under-powered. But because the committee is unequal to the task given the recent revelation that of the 55-member cabinet which forced the prime minister to set up the committee, at least 22 are tax-dodgers; unless one believes that tax evasion is not corruption. The ministers were not as much furious over the Transparency International report that accords Pakistan this distinction, as over a disclosure by NAB Chairman Admiral Fasih Bukhari that the per day corruption in Pakistan is to the tune of Rs 7 billion. 'Etu tu, Brute?' they must be thinking. But the NAB is certain about its take on official corruption; its assertion is primarily based on an ongoing scrutiny of some 173 projects of the federal and provincial governments that carry a financial impact of Rs 1.475 trillion. It's a huge figure indeed and may remain unconfirmed, but there is the lasting public perception that we as a nation are almost irretrievably trapped in the vortex of corruption. Tragically, in our times corruption in high offices has acquired a kind of aura of divinity and the underlings are expected to accept it as their destiny. But this cannot be allowed to go on and on; inaction resulting from our helplessness to fight back the mighty demons of official corruption can irredeemably undermine the democratic process in Pakistan. Steps have to be taken to sustain general masses' trust in democracy. Maybe, given the scale of corruption and divinity of the offices involved in this nefarious business, the culprits are not caught and punished for now. Maybe, the arm of law is not long enough to reach the high and mighty corrupt and prosecutors are too low-status minions to get to the white, starched colours. Maybe, the committees and commissions to find out the 'ultimate truth' are merely deception ploys to help defuse crises. Rightly then we have no great expectations from the ministerial committee to deliver on the onerous task assigned to it. But that is not on; we cannot turn our backs on this threat to our existence as an independent sovereign polity. The fight to expose the degree of corruption and criminals involved must be exposed, as has been done by Transparency International survey and a study done by the Centre for Investigative Reporting. More such reports should come so that by the time people go to elect their future leadership they know who is it that they are going to vote for. Meanwhile, what little time is left with the present National Assembly it should get united and does something concrete to justify the cause of its existence. Accepted it passed the 18th Constitutional Amendment and legislated over a hundred other laws. But of real concern to the man in street is the impact the long list of its legislative work makes on his life. Democracy is not merely elections and parliaments; it's a machine that should work for the greatest good of the largest number of people. Frankly, the present assemblies score poorly on this account. For one, it has the last chance to stand up and get united to pass a tough, merciless and unforgiving anti-corruption act to punish the corrupt irrespective of their position, power and political affiliation. How unfortunate it is that we as a nation have even failed to marginally improve the existing imbecile accountability process. We would hate to endorse the perception that politicians are chums of the same block. But do believe that the black sheep among them should be identified, segregated and culled - of course, through electoral process. Let history not write our death by drowning in the sea of corruption.