Corruption and utopia

If I had to choose between a corrupt leader and an incompetent one, I’d choose the incompetent one every time. Integrity is the basic quality a leader must possess. But in a country of over 200 million people this is a false choice. We should be able to find leaders who have both integrity and intelligence.

In our history we have had many leaders who have had both intelligence and integrity. And others who have been missing one or both of the crucial ingredients necessary for effective leadership.

Our current prime minister has made a political career out of two distinct but interrelated topics related to corruption. First, his constant accusations of corruption against opposing politicians. Second, his telling the people that, but for the “massive and rampant” corruption that exists in Pakistan, we would be a rich country. In Khan’s rhetoric, Pakistan would be a utopia where everything – from buses to planes, schools to hospitals, power to gas companies, and police to courts – would work perfectly if there were no corruption. And that he’s the saviour who can take us to the promised utopia as long as he’s allowed to govern.

Take PM Khan’s constant accusations of corruption against opposing politicians first. These accusations are never specific. So we heard that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was a “daku” but we never heard what his “daakas” were. We have heard from Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry (it’s anyone’s guess whether the latter will still be a minister in the next few days; for the PTI’s sake, I hope he stays) that Mian Nawaz Sharif has 300 billion stashed abroad (they never specified a currency). But, again, we were never told what specific projects he took bribes or kickbacks from.

Shehbaz Sharif was also accused of corruption in every project he undertook. But NAB is accusing him of three specific cases –Saaf Pani, Ramzan Sugar and Ashiana Housing – and what the high court said about these NAB cases is now for all to see.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is lucky that he has been accused of specific corruption in only the ‘LNG scam’. If you ask PTI leaders, they will be absolutely sure of Abbasi’s guilt but will never be able to tell you what he is accused of. Their belief in his guilt stems from the oft-repeated accusations of their leader PM Khan and that model of probity and honesty Sheikh Rasheed. Still, I say Abbasi is “lucky” because once he is exonerated by NAB of the investigation into the LNG matter he will at least have no other accusations against him.

These wild and false accusations are not without harm. Recently, a large Chinese firm was compelled to issue a denial after a federal minister, Murad Saeed, accused Ahsan Iqbal of accepting a bribe from it of Rs70 billion or $667 million. (With this kind of cash, Ahsan Iqbal should at least move out of his rented house)! Now many may know not to take Murad Saeed seriously, but to our CPEC partners he is a federal minister in charge of the National Highway Authority, the entity with an annual road-building portfolio of over Rs500 billion. How can they not take him seriously?

Upsetting the Chinese brings me to our Commerce Adviser Razzak Dawood, a person I know to be a man of integrity. His firm recently won a single-bid contract for Mohmand Dam even though its bid was higher than the disqualified bid of FWO. Now suppose a firm owned by Ahsan Iqbal, another man with an unblemished record of integrity, had won a similar contract during the PML-N’s time. Would Imran Khan’s reaction have been the same?

The second and related issue that PM Khan always talks about is that corruption is Pakistan’s biggest problem and if we just end corruption all of our problems will be solved. He’s on record saying that once he brings back the looted national wealth there will be no need to impose any tax for a decade and the prices of all things will fall.

If you talk to a yogi, you will quickly learn this: no matter what the problem, the solution is always more meditation. The problem could be loadshedding or not getting good nihari in Islamabad but his solution will always be: more meditation. Similarly, if you listen to PTI leaders you will learn that the solution of every problem is always accusing the opposition of corruption.

Why was the PML-N taking so much debt when in government? Because it was corrupt. But then why is the PTI taking even more debt? Because the PML-N was corrupt. Why was gas and electricity so expensive during the PML-N’s time? Because the PML-N was corrupt. But why are gas and electricity getting even more expensive under the PTI? Because the PML-N is corrupt. Why was the Lahore metro bus so expensive? Because the PML-N was corrupt. But why is the Peshawar metro three times more expensive? Well, because, obviously, the PML-N is corrupt.

In PM Khan’s simplistic vision, Pakistan is not poor because there is a lot of illiteracy; because we confuse rote memorisation with learning; because women aren’t allowed meaningful participation in the economy; because we have been in a state of war since 9/11; because the law and order situation in the engine of our growth, Karachi, was deliberately destroyed for over two decades; because our legal, law-enforcement and governance systems have outlived their usefulness and need urgent, difficult and far-reaching reforms; because we have too many ethnic and sectarian issues that cynical people have exploited for their benefit and to the nation’s harm; because we have hostile neighbours; and many other reasons. In his view, the only thing substantially holding Pakistan back is corruption.

Of course, no one would justify corruption. But to not understand that there is much else that’s holding our country back and to just keep harping on the mantra of corruption is to avoid facing the real problems our nation faces. And unless we diagnose the problems correctly, we will never arrive at the right solutions.

Corruption is one issue we face today, but it is not even close to the biggest problem we have. It is morally wrong to accuse every opponent of corruption, for it weakens the gravity of the charge; and those who are actually corrupt will also be able to credibly claim innocence because so many honourable people have also been falsely accused.

Moreover, to tell the people that – but for corruption – we would be living in utopia gives them a false sense of hope. Developing Pakistan requires climbing a long, steep hill. This is why the euphoria surrounding Khan’s ascension has already waned so quickly and people have realised that the road to utopia is full of potholes.

The writer has served as federal

minister for finance, revenue and

economic affairs.

Twitter: @MiftahIsmail