Condoning law violations to appease flouters

LAHORE: While trying to appease the public the government is gradually losing its writ as it ignores violations of law, fearing public protests if the violators are booked.

We do see feeble efforts to control food adulteration. The markets are flooded with foods having carcinogenic colours. Routine test reports released by government laboratories said majority of the bottled water is not hygienic. Even the processed milk contains bacteria and health harming inputs. For every popular product that is made in Pakistan a me-too substandard product is available. 

The gas-guzzler appliances, banned for sale, are almost the only gadgets available to the consumers. Duplicates of Pakistani and foreign clothing brands are sold without fear of law. The buyers knowingly purchase the products.  

We are regularly expanding the road infrastructure. The roads are being broadened by demolishing built-structures to ensure smooth traffic. Yet, we find the widest roads are choked during rush hours because almost everyone breaks the lane. The motorcyclists are free to move around the entire breadth of the road, causing chaos during the peak times. We do not punish traffic violators and even tolerate the violation of one-way rule. 

It is an uphill task to register an FIR anywhere in Pakistan despite tall claims by some provinces that FIR is promptly registered. We observe that some men and women are kept in police lock-ups despite court release orders. And, yet the individuals responsible for the illegal detention are not punished.

The government is free to what it likes as far as the prices of petroleum, gas and electric power are concerned. The petroleum rates, for instance, are linked to the prices of crude oil in the global market in the preceding fortnight or month. This criterion for price of petroleum products is also practiced in India. The government of Pakistan has been increasing the rates of petrol and diesel for the last three months – the latest increase was announced three days back. The Indian government, on the same date, decreased the prices of petrol by more than three Indian rupees/litre (equivalent to Pak rupee 4.50) and diesel rates by Rs2.50 plus per litre (equivalent to Pak rupee 3.75).

Surprisingly, the government of Pakistan did not increase the petroleum product rates in the past when global crude oil price warranted. It, gradually, increased the rates of both diesel and petrol by four rupees in the past three months.

It is not bothered whether the global prices increased or decreased in the previous quarter. The government is afraid of the consumer backlash. In order to make up for the lost revenues of the previous months, the government increased the rates by Rs1 each for diesel and petrol when the global crude oil prices warranted a decrease. The government is afraid to exercise its writ even in matters pertaining to economy.

The government has stopped conducting raids on the shops of tax evaders after protests by trade associations. It does not have the courage to collect electricity bills even from private sector consumers who owe it amount that is equivalent to the power sector’s current circular debt. The government looks the other way when smuggled goods are brought in and sold in the country. It imposes section 144 to stop processions and public meetings, but backs out when someone shows determination to challenge its writ.

Underlying the crises of the economy and security is the crisis of governance. The basic governance model that emerged during the British government was accessing state resources, generating rents through government regulations and patronising the selected individuals for building political support. This model continues to hurt the country even today.

Today’s governance challenge in the economic sphere is to move from the social order focused on the elite to an open access order, which provides economic opportunities to all the citizens rather than a few.