Umar Bin Abdul Aziz, known as 5th Caliph, received a visitor. They discussed state matters under the light of a lamp. As they finished the official discussion and the focus shifted to personal issues, the Caliph dimmed the lamp and continued talking in the dark. This perplexed the guest. The Caliph responded that he had bought the lamp using the treasury of the Muslims. So he would use it working on issues related to community, not for personal concerns.
The message was symbolic and encompasses the whole issue: self-accountability and value of government exchequer.
Rightly, Pakistan came into being with great pomp and show. There were reasons to enjoy the fruit of freedom. Despite millions sacrificing their lives, honour and properties, the sprits were high. The Quaid, who was eminent for his stylish living, seeing the challenges ahead, completely changed himself and adopted the same frugal demeanour befitting a ruler like Umar Bin Abdul Aziz. Sadly, he left us too early, and the country came into the hands of predators. The personal political ambitions resulted in dismemberment of the country in 1971. No lessons learnt and rulers are still treading on the same path.
The ruling politicians and elite bureaucrats do not have an iota of feeling for the extravaganza being enjoyed by them on the money either got from the taxes of poor people or begged from the rich countries. Their children and families, without any feeling of guilt, go to the schools, shopping or private excursion on vehicles run on government fuel.
The officers travel extensively within the country and go abroad using government facilities or fully funded programs, yet on return they claim TA/DA. When a common man sees his tax money being used on perks and privileges of ruling Junta, he makes all endeavours to evade taxes. In the absence of effective and just tax collection system, the country continues to plunge into chaos and poverty. Ironically, few top positions are exempted from the tax as per the law.
The common man is screaming with the pain inflicted upon him due to soaring inflation, jobs scarcity and poor law and order. But the bosses are always busy in meetings, recording minutes; wasting hours as often phrased. The Nation Action Plan comprises of 20 points. Though the plan remains devoid of any tangible action so far, reforming the criminal justice system takes seat at 20th position whereas it should have been the 1st agenda point.
No where there is vision for long term planning. The public servants only see how long they are likely to remain on the seat and their projects remain restricted to that short period of time. A friend attending a seminar in Canada in 2014 was told that their government had planned that by 2026, whole Canada will be made accessible to differently-abled people. This is how a nation with conscience plans for the next generations.
The government-run education and health system has collapsed leaving a void gap, only to be filled by the Madrasah and private clinics. The government-run departments have been filled with incompetent people due to political backing. There is enough befooling in the narrative, finding allurement that the nation is resilient enough to subside evil doings with sab acha ha, theek hojai ga.
The solution to the problem is simple and will not take a lot. We need to reach the bottom of the problem - poverty, corruption and lack of accountability.
It is possible to have far-reaching consequences by taking a few relatively easy steps. To begin with, optimum utilisation of human and physical resources should be ensured. For instance, only one car for an official. No second vehicle in the name of escort or protocol. Secondly, everybody must pay from his/her own pocket for the vehicle he or she is using. Let everybody feel the pain of high fuel prices. The utility bills must be paid by the occupant of the government accommodation. If the house is too big, reduce the size.
There should be no tax exemption. The bigwigs enjoying this facility should come forward and withdraw the concession themselves. Otherwise, the legislators should take this bold step and amend the law. The head of state should visit abroad with an entourage comprising no more than five people. The tax collection and its expense should be made public every month. For example, millions of vehicle taxes are collected in cities every day. Addressing root causes of all ills lies in speedy justice. In our neighbours, like Iran, if a culprit is caught for terrorist activities or any heinous crime, within three days he is found hanging in a public place, infusing terror in other terrorists. The ministries and department should only be headed by people from the relevant field, for example, the minister of education should be an educationist and a health minister should be a medical doctor.
It is only through course correction that we can save ourselves from disaster. The sooner we realise this, the better. It is still not too late to begin a meaningful journey towards good governance, prosperity, and justice. Good governance, rule of law, and accountability are the keys to the success of advanced countries. No one dares abuse his power. Taking it from the ground up, let’s start here.