Pakistan has falling ratios of all indicators of governance: Dr Ishrat

Pakistan has declining ratios of all indicators in terms of governance whereas an upward trend is observed in India and Bangladesh, which were lagging behind Pakistan before the 1990s.

The Election Commission of India is not based on the rules of Sadiq and Ameen like in Pakistan. Selective intervention in 25 institutions can put Pakistan on the right track. These views expressed by Dr Ishrat Husain, former governor of State Bank of Pakistan during a lecture, entitled ‘Governing the Ungovernable’, at the city campus of the Institute of Business Administration’s (IBA) on Friday.

The session was moderated by Dr Farrukh Iqbal, dean and director of the IBA Karachi, and attended by luminaries from all walks of life, alumni, faculty and students. The lecture was aimed at examining the reasons behind the volatile and inequitable growth of Pakistan during the last 25 years and how institutional reforms could bring about democratic governance as discussed in the recently published book written by Dr Ishrat Husain.

Dr Iqbal introduced the book to the audience by explaining why the best person to author this book is Dr Ishrat Husain since having worked in civil service, World Bank and State Bank of Pakistan had provided him comparative international perspectives.

He mentioned that the book pointed out merit, accountability and sustainability as indicators for bringing about institutional reforms. Dr Ishrat Husain elaborated that his claim of failed governance during the last 25 years was supported by empirical evidence gathered during his fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson Institute.

On being enquired if the country could perform well if divided into 12 provinces, he said the answer to better governance could come from complete implementation of the 18th amendment.

He said that Election Commission of India was a powerful institution, took over government on the completion of the tenure of a democratic government and decided how to place capable people in the caretaker set-up. “ECPI is not based on the rules of Sadiq and Ameen like in Pakistan.”