DAWN Editorials - 9th January 2025

[faheemustad]

Taking cover


IT is unfortunate that, instead of taking ownership of important decisions, our officials usually seem keener to make even the good ones appear to be the result of some unavoidable obligation to the country’s foreign creditors. This constant shifting of responsibility, or rather, blame, to external stakeholders has meant even necessary changes in state-level policy come to be seen publicly as the result of interference by unforgiving and unsympathetic foreign lenders rather than necessary steps that must be taken in the country’s best interests. Take, for example, the finance minister, who, in a recent press conference on government rightsizing, seemed to be at pains to explain that the decision to reduce the size of our arguably bloated government had to be taken because of structural benchmarks set by the IMF. Though the minister admitted that the measure was also in Pakistan’s best interests, one wonders why it was made to sound like an IMF prescription rather than a willingly embraced reform.

The fact is that the size of the government needs to be cut. The country cannot continue to shoulder the burden of a large and inefficient bureaucracy, given its severely deteriorated economic position. The minister, during his press conference, himself revealed that many of the public sector entities, departments and their managements that were put on the chopping block admitted they had not much to show by way of their accomplishments over the past 20-30 years, but still wanted another six months to deliver results. This would seem to be an admission that, though these entities knew how to turn things around, they chose not to do so — and for decades, no less. While they thankfully did not get another lifeline, one still wonders why the move to cut them to size had to be framed as an obligation to a foreign lending agency.

Indeed, the government should have taken pride in announcing that it was taking a major step to hold public servants and their departments accountable for funds they had been wasting for decades. That it did not seem eager to do so not only suggests a lack of concern for how the country’s resources have been and continue to be squandered but also a seeming unwillingness to end such wastefulness. Perhaps this is why the finance minister dodged questions at the same press conference regarding why judges and certain categories of bureaucrats had been granted hefty salary increases in recent months. He also would not directly answer questions about whether certain ‘favoured’ ministries and departments would face cuts. The finance minister, himself an appointed technocrat, may at times feel obligated to deflect responsibility from the elected government. However, it is hoped that this is not also preventing him from taking the right decisions.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2025

A living hell


WHAT Donald Trump does domestically when he enters the White House in just under two weeks is frankly the American people’s problem — after all, they voted him into power for the second time. The only exception may be his immigration policy, which would concern many foreigners, including Pakistanis. But the shape US foreign policy takes during the second Trump administration is a matter of concern for the entire globe, as American military and economic decisions have an impact in climes far beyond US borders. Though his support base includes both isolationist MAGA hardliners, who want little to do with the outside world, as well as neocons who favour unbridled American imperialism, it appears that the latter grouping may have the upper hand in forming foreign policy. During a presser on Tuesday, Mr Trump gave broad outlines of his external aims. If he is serious about even half of these promises, the world should be very concerned. For example, he refused to rule out using force to occupy the Panama Canal as well as Greenland. Moreover, he threatened to use “economic force” against Canada, and described the border with his North American neighbour as an “artificially drawn line”. But his most dangerous rhetoric was reserved for Gaza. Reiterating previous threats, Mr Trump said that unless Israeli captives held by Hamas were returned by the time of his inauguration, “all hell will break out in the Middle East”.

Mr Trump must realise that Gaza is already a living hell, thanks to Israeli barbarism and American weapons provided by the Biden administration. The Palestinian people have been constantly burying loved ones; they have been starved to death, and several babies have frozen to death in the Levantine winter. It is difficult to imagine how much more hellish the incoming American leader intends to make conditions for the people of Gaza. What is needed in the Strip is a long-term ceasefire and immediate provision of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. But it is naïve to expect Mr Trump to pressure Israel into silencing its guns in Gaza, surrounded as he is by fanatical Zionists for whom the extermination of the Palestinian people is almost an article of faith. His views on Iran are equally hawkish. Therefore, his promises to bring more ‘hell’ to the Middle East may be fulfilled quite soon.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2025

A right denied


DESPITE citizens possessing the constitutional and legal right to access it, federal ministries are failing to disclose public information. This was revealed by Fafen recently in a report that paints a troubling picture of governmental opacity. Fafen’s analysis of 40 divisions across 33 federal ministries reveals that none fully comply with the mandatory disclosures outlined in the Right to Information Act. Even the best-performing divisions, such as the Cabinet and Inter-Provincial Coordination Divisions, achieved only 42pc compliance. Several divisions — including those responsible for Housing and Works, Information and Broadcasting, and National Health Services — registered compliance rates as low as eight to 19pc. Compounding this issue is the widespread non-responsiveness to RTI requests. Fafen says nearly half of the ministries ignored information requests, while only 27pc responded within the mandated timeframe. Ministries like Climate Change and Commerce adhered to the law’s timeline, but many others, including Finance and Interior, failed to respond altogether.

Adding to the dysfunction are the five right to information commissions — one at the Centre and four provincial ones — each staffed with three commissioners. These commissions, instead of ensuring compliance, appear to just be sitting pretty, earning hefty salaries while neglecting their duties. Fafen, as an NGO, may have managed to secure some responses, but what hope does the common citizen have in accessing information? The situation demands urgent reform. First off, these commissions must be streamlined — a single commissioner per jurisdiction would suffice, provided they are empowered with clear performance metrics and accountability mechanisms. The resultant savings could fund implementation and monitoring systems. Secondly, an independent citizens’ commission comprising civil society representatives, journalists, and legal experts should be established to audit the performance of RTI bodies. This commission could publish quarterly scorecards rating ministerial compliance and highlighting cases where citizens accessed information. Without such reforms, the RTI Act will remain what it currently is — a paper tiger.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2025