The PML-N’s style of governance is known to be highly centralised
In a recent seminar, Federal Minister for Information, Pervaiz Rashid, declared that transparency was a key feature of the PML-N government’s manifesto.
Addressing a gathering of government officials, the minister said, "Transparency is a pre-requisite for good governance. And this is the reason why no corruption scandal has been reported or unearthed by the media or the monitoring agencies."
For many, his statement contradicts the reality on the ground. There are questions being raised by the civil society and the public regarding the transparency of the multifarious mega development projects that have been started over the past two years or so.
The PML-N’s style of governance is popularly known to be highly ‘centralised,’ when it comes to its mega projects. This is projected, through a well-managed PR machinery, as positive by its supporters who know the party as a ‘doer.’
With the rise of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) as a mainstream political party, the PML-N seems to have shifted priorities more towards the urban, perhaps to make a dent into the PTI vote bank. The government can’t seem to wait to reap the political dividends in the next general elections.
Incidentally, its focus is not on introducing the basic reforms in the system and creating policies for the welfare of the common people.
A recent example of the PML-N government’s lack of transparency remains the 550MW Nandipur Power Plant Project (NPPP). The project had suffered a major setback because of negligence on the part of the previous regime. But the Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, took over the project from the federal government, despite it being the latter’s domain. He bypassed all rules to complete the project at the earliest.
"His excuse was that the project is in ‘national interest’," says a former managing director of the NPPP, requesting anonymity.
"One hears varying financial figures regarding the construction of the Metro Bus Service; no official word on it has been given, despite our repeated demands," says Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed.
"The elected government is acting like an autocratic regime where all questions related to transparency are simply swept aside, there is no accountability and the focus is on mega projects that can pay off," he adds.
"According to the documents available with us, a staggering Rs11 billion was drawn from other sectors, such as water and sanitation, in order to complete the Metro Bus Project."
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The opposition leader also says that the public right to information is denied at all levels which is enough proof of the fact that the government has no transparency on its projects. "The rulers think they are not accountable to anyone."
However, he is all praise for the government’s art of managing the media and bureaucracy through which they are able to present a false image.
"In its manifesto during the last general elections, the PML-N had said that the crisis of governance in Pakistan was extensive. The performance of bureaucracy at various tiers of the government is ineffective and inefficient (corruption notwithstanding), mainly on account of unfair appointments, postings and promotions. And, in order to depoliticise bureaucracy, the government servants shall be granted constitutional security to their service, and all government decisions governed and regulated by law and merit."
Today, however, there are labels of politicising bureaucracy, especially at the Punjab level, and linking their personal loyalty with the Sharif brothers to get good appointments. The bunch of bureaucrats at the top level with the PM includes those who served the PML-N leadership for a long time and stayed loyal. Appointment of the current Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Fawad Ahmed Fawad, is one big example. The civil servant’s association with the Sharif brothers goes back a decade or so.
"Many people praise their art because they run the government with a businessman’s acumen," Rasheed says. "They have been managing the media and bureaucracy for the past three decades now."
More than seventy per cent of the country’s population is rural and depends on agriculture. But for Mushtaq Gadi, a dedicated farmer who lives far from Lahore, the government has done the least for his community and agriculture. "There is little progress on the [government’s] recent announcement of around Rs3 billion agriculture package. Besides, it promises no long-term benefits to the small farmers who are in clear majority."
"The real issues of input and crop prices have been clearly sidelined," he adds. "Ever since the PML-N came into power, we have lost hope. The priority of this regime is more urban, mostly Lahore-focused. And they are interested in livestock."
There have been some efforts at the Punjab level to improve the agriculture sector, but it is yet to be seen as to how practical are these.
The government has gone ahead with the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), despite all opposition. The accountability bill and police reforms can wait. At least for now.