No one gets caught

Some countries prosper while others are left behind. There are countries where everyone steals and no one gets caught and there are those where corruption can get you shot. Some countries have tried to progress at the cost of great human suffering while some have claimed to eliminate extreme poverty. There are those mired in conflict while others have established peace. No matter what the system, how hard the challenges are, and how intense the opposition, it is a leader who takes the nation through.

 We all know there is corruption in Pakistan – from bureaucracy, politicians and state institutions. For years, we have been ranked by Transparency International as among the most corrupt nations in the world. But no one has ever been caught. In authoritarian China, the nature of corruption differs from the corruption in India or Pakistan. The leadership in China sees corruption as an existential threat to the legitimacy of the Communist Party, encourages public protests to clamp down on personal greed and corrupt officials are executed by firing squad.

In Pakistan, leaders consider corruption as part of the democratic system, starting with overspending in elections and then horse-trading to form coalitions. Politicians must then find their own sources of income to finance future elections or make alliances with businessmen or criminals to ensure election funding. The days of ideological politics are long gone and patronage and illegal favours are the norm. Corruption is enshrined in our system that it is often justified purely for economic reasons.

Pakistan has been a conflict-ridden nation since several years with a stagnant economy. In 2005, it was considered as Asia’s second fastest growing economy but economic collapse in 2008 necessitated an IMF bailout package followed by several other visits. There are multiple crises – the population grows too fast, education levels have dropped and the economy does not create jobs for youth. Life has become unlivable for most Pakistanis. The poor are plagued by rising prices and deprivation and starvation are the only options.

Despite the dysfunctional political system, fragile economy, frequent breakdown of law and order, the politicians have boasted of the democratic system.

The economic crisis in Pakistan is caused by corruption, incompetence and mismanagement of successive governments over the last two decades. Conflict and corruption have been the principal cause of the economic debacle. But the most ironic thing is that no one had ever been caught. General Musharraf moved against corrupt politicians but then switched from accountability to manipulation. This is precisely what the Broadsheet revelations have exposed that the state moved against 200 influential individuals but then quickly stopped the process. Corruption was and is still seen as an incentive for developmental projects. If the state acts against them then the entire economic system is stagnated and they are eventually scot-free.

As a result, Pakistanis has shrunk deeper into poverty but its politicians have grown phenomenally rich. The law exists only to protect the rich and powerful and punish the poor. The police patronize the criminals and judges deliver injustice. Bureaucrats follow their own interests rather than the law of the land certainly not the welfare of ordinary citizens. As a result, public morality has diminished, those elected to parliament are focused on their role in parties rather than lawmakers and parliament is reduced to rubber stamp.

All because no one ever gets caught. Pakistanis have shown their ability to excel even on the world stage. Can Pakistan produce the leadership required to lift the nation out of failure? Is Imran Khan the one who can deliver as promised? The question remains how will be become a prosperous nation if no one gets ever gets caught.