Jang Economic Session: Strong institutions needed for political stability, say experts

LAHORE: Change could not be felt without ensuring the rule of law and good governance across the board, therefore, the government should strengthen all institutions which would bring about a change at every level.

These views were expressed by the experts in Jang Economic Session held on “How the Democratic Stability is Possible for Economic Growth.” The panelists were Amjad Ali Jawa, Waheed Raza, Rabia Sultan, Sameer Ahmed, Rana Sajjad and Arshad Khan. The event was hosted by Sikandar Lodhi.

Amjad Ali Jawa said dictatorship or democracy was not the condition for political stability but good governance and strong institutions were required for political stability. He said discouraging corruption at every stage would improve the system. He said increasing regulatory duties on unnecessary products could be beneficial. He suggested curtailing imports to control trade deficit, and focusing value-added products of cotton to increase exports and employment opportunities.

Waheed Raza said change in society could not be brought about without the rule of law and social justice. He said different pressure groups negatively affect the social system so the law should be equal for everyone. He said modern machines and technology should be imported instead of consumer goods. He called for making PIDC effective and increasing exports of agricultural products.

Rabia Sultan said the worth of a voter whether he/she was a literate or illiterate was equal while their domestic and financial problems were different. She said the task of the members of the parliament was to make legislation instead of repairing and constructing roads and streets. The problems being faced by the masses could be solved by the real presentation of people in the parliament, she added.

Sameer Ahmed said the country needed real political stability right now as the journey of the development was not possible through so-called democracy. He said they should adopt the model of democracy of the successful countries and the success relied on merit and continuity in policies. He lamented that many productive and effective plans were overlooked by the previous governments.

Rana Sajjad said completion of government tenure and good governance caused political stability which ensured economic growth. He said reducing political parties’ pressure on bureaucracy, curtailing corruption and peaceful transition of power could bring about political stability. He believed that continuity in policies was vital to socio economic growth.

Arshad Khan said corruption had destroyed the institutions. He said public should also contribute individually to bringing about change in the system.