People wonder why the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government that promised positive change failed to deliver. There are many factors that contributed to the failure of this government’s policies.
People wonder why the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government that promised positive change failed to deliver. There are many factors that contributed to the failure of this government’s policies.
Keeping the Pakistani economy on a sustained growth path has never been easy. Major reasons cited for this are corruption, incompetence, vested interests of ruling elite, nepotism and major appointments based on political affiliation instead of merit.
Since Pakistan was not fully integrated in the global economy, the global recessions had little impact. However, higher commodity rates always tested the resilience of our economy. This government highlighted these drawbacks during the election and claimed that they would form a transparent and competent government free of corrupt elements.
Few people doubted their sincerity, but the regime committed some blunders in its first 100 days and then subsequent six months that derailed the economy and governance both. The global scenario also played a major role in non-deliverance.
First blunder that this regime committed was to assume that the bureaucracy is totally corrupt. The government through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) then targeted all senior bureaucrats who served in Punjab under Shahbaz Sharif and those who were blue-eyed officers of Nawaz Sharif at the centre. The Sharifs owe their better performance to the selection of competent officers who executed government policies with efficiency and competence. All senior bureaucrats respected them for the dedication they exhibited in completing projects.
Many of them served under previous regimes with the same zest and the Sharifs benefited from their experience and dedication. All major projects were completed on time under their command and cost was reduced. (Lahore Metro is one example that was completed under a bureaucrat at 1/3 the cost of BRT Peshawar, a project of same length).
These high performing bureaucrats were publicly humiliated through NAB and kept under its custody for months and years. The other top-level bureaucrats regretted this humiliation of their competent colleagues.
Fear crept in their ranks that if they take any decision, NAB would be at their neck by implicating them in any case, and would keep them in lock-up for up to three months that is allowed under NAB law. They also saw that when NAB failed to provide evidence of wrongdoing against arrested officers arrested, some other cases were invented to keep the same person in lockup for another 90 days.
This demoralised the bureaucracy, which became dysfunctional to the extent that they did not approve even the purchase of a ball point fearing that any supplier in another department might have quoted a slightly lower price.
In the same way, the government targeted big businessmen who were considered close to the previous regime. They were maltreated when they were summoned to NAB offices. The businessmen were asked to come out of their vehicles at NAB’s gate and go into its office by foot. In the meantime, the press was informed about their summons. The press was free to ask them questions on arrival and at the time of departure.
For some businessmen who were called to give an impression of even-handed accountability, the vehicle was allowed inside the NAB office, which was out of bounds for media men. The businessmen retaliated by withholding investments, while foreign investors also stayed away as the signals sent by NAB were frightening.
It was after a long time that the government realised its folly and tried to seduce the businessmen and assure bureaucrats that NAB would remain at arm’s length from bureaucracy. However, by that time the damage was done.
Businessmen dare not oppose any government policy openly and hesitate from new investment, while the bureaucrats toe the official line if the orders are given in writing. Bureaucratic decisions take much longer than at any time in our history. Bureaucratic reshuffling was never this fast and frequent in any past government.
Another drawback with the regime was that it lacked a competent team. It went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when we were at the risk of default, and the government had to remove its own finance minister. The minister was replaced by an outsider who served the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) regime in the same capacity in the past.
Even that finance minister was first replaced by a party faithful and then by another finance minister, who also served in the same capacity during the last PPP tenure. These appointments negated the claim of the government that past governments were corrupt and saddled with incompetent persons.
When Covid-19 hit the world, our economy was already in tailspin and the closure of most of the world was a setback for our economy as well. Surprisingly, this government tackled Covid-19 much better than the rest of the world.
Its efforts however suffered badly as the global commodity prices increased out of proportion. The freight charges for transportation of goods also quadrupled.
High petroleum rates also put pressure on our foreign exchange reserves. The government is surviving on both foreign and domestic loans. The government team largely remains the same that brought us to the current stage in the last 41 months.
The writer is a staff member
