Is the country becoming ungovernable? Several factors appear to indicate in what direction. Control problems mounted in in first for example, due to the political unrest that exacerbated the turbulent Pakistani history. But today, challenge of controllability more impressive because of number of other factors in addition to the old ones.
current political polarization is evident new factor. This is unprecedented, despite Pakistan’s long tradition. of divisive politics. Never before have people, society and families been so divided by their party preferences as they are today, and resisted accepting any view except for their own. Uncompromising position of in former decree party exacerbated this polarization. He eliminated any middle ground and made political agreement is next to impossible.
The confrontation between PTI and the rest has created a situation in which the parliament was left without opposition and the laws adopted by it are devoid of of broader consensus. As differences seem insurmountable, seeking political solutions to disputes out. With the intention of PTI on paralyzing system until he gets his way on early elections, their holding created an unsettled environmentgoverning more difficult. it also democratic system.
Read more: Overclocking on PTI wont help in country government, says Asad Umar
This situation casts a shadow on public institutions, which are increasingly targeted of guerrilla attacks in raging political battle. Whether it be the establishment, the judiciary or the electoral commission, if their position or decisions regarded as favorable to the political party, praise is showered on them. If the opposite happens, they are criticized for be biased.
Imran Khan continues to question the impartiality of the ECP and the judiciary, with PTI trolls often attack these establishments on social media. His criticism of establishment, including accusations that he did nothing to stop a “foreign conspiracy” against his government is a tactic to put pressure on force is to change course.
Read: “Why didn’t the defenders of the country stop the conspiracy?” asks Imran
Similarly, Khan rejected repeated clarifications from military press secretary that there is no evidence support his claims of foreign conspiracy. Consequence of this position should sow mistrust in government agencies among his fan-like supporters, even outside his base. This breeds cynicism and widens divisions. in society. Does PTI Management Understand the Harmful Consequences of state institutions in the contradiction exacerbates challenge of control. Refusal or disobedience of judiciary or ECP decisions means undermining rules-based on framework. Trust in institutions are the backbone of democracy and governance systeman integral part ability to enforce policies.
merger of polarized politics and economic turmoil are pushing Pakistan towards danger zone.
In a political landscape where there is not enough of civil conversation, exchange of bitter accusations reign, not sober debate on national questions. Discussion of public policy replaced fact-free attempts to demonize political rivals. It’s distracting government from power and opposition from concentration on questions. When political talk is only about how corrupt other side is national problems are not seriously discussed and solutions are not proposed.
What has made control more erosion is problematic in institutional capacity of the state over year and the associated deterioration in Delivery of public services that increasingly do not meet people’s expectations. weakening of tools of management meant that even the most well thought out policy becomes more difficult to implement. Delayed reforms, scattered rework and lack of of efforts to depoliticize the civil service have weakened government cars over time. It undermined public confidence in government institutions and made control more burdensome.
The most important and recurring factor that causes the country to become ungovernable is the long-standing ineffective economic policy. Almost every government operated since the mid-1980s in financially irresponsible way as well as left in economy in the worst shape for his successor with.
Structural economic problems we left fester, now and then colliding with the country with a financial crisis that has become a chronic threat to stability. For past four decades failure mobilize enough domestic resources along with with low levels of savings and investment meant that successive governments ran huge deficits in national expenses and on country’s external account. These double deficits are budget and balance of payments – financed by printing more banknotes and inflow of funds from abroad through loans and remittances from overseas Pakistanis.
Confidence on domestic and foreign loans and financial aid landed in Pakistan in classical debt trap where more had to borrow to pay off old debt. it also left country living in one tranche of the IMF to another. Furthermore, bank borrowing in home served as an extremely regressive measure, since it meant a forced transfer of savings on government from people least able to bear the burden of inflation, the most pernicious tax on poor.
Economic management, which relied on borrowing allowed the ruling elite of the country avoid and postpone much-needed structural reforms, including major tax reform that could economy on viable path. it also explains public unwillingness to obey with policy measures introduced on their unfair system.
Of such kind of management of the economy was strengthened by successive governments – civil and military. The ruling elite of the rentier created the rentier economy. Therefore, structural sources of chronic financial imbalances remained uncorrected: narrow and unfair tax regime, circular debt bankrupt public enterprises, broken public financial management systemovervalued exchange rateheavy regulatory burden and narrow export base.
The chickens have already arrived home perch. Country in flour of another financial crisis, foreign exchange reserves are depleted, inflation is at a record high, power Scarcity is an unbearable burden on people and IMF assistance is requested to prevent a default.
this is true that the Covid-19 pandemic and global economic factors exacerbated Pakistan’s economic situation. Soaring international oil prices are further fueling the balanceof-payments crisis and inflation under global deficit of LNG exacerbates the situation in the country power crisis today. However, weak economy with low resilience to such shocks is result of poor management of the economy by ruling elites unwilling to reform concerned more with maintaining their own power than promotion public interest. merger of polarized politics and economic turmoil is currently pushing Pakistan towards danger zone of becomes uncontrollable.
Writer former Ambassador to the US, UK and UN.
Published in Dawn, June 20, 2022
