Government’s wrong focus
AS the Panama Papers saga winds on, a familiar and regrettable pattern is asserting itself: the government appears to be using its legal and political worries as an excuse to not focus on governance issues. Once again, the country has a government that is sidestepping its responsibilities and implicitly claiming political persecution. To be sure, even at its highest point politically, the present PML-N government has not had structural reforms as a priority, nor a particularly strong legislative agenda. Macroeconomic stabilisation, an avowed goal, has been pursued according to the seemingly whimsical priorities of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. So, while there have been some successes, a persistent critique of the PML-N government has been that it has neglected systemic reforms in favour of potentially unsustainable gains.
Be that as it may, the PML-N has found a way to distract itself even from its own narrow goals. The usual foil has been the PTI and its endless campaign to unsettle or de-seat the government. Occasionally, the problem has been a military establishment that the government has perceived as encroaching on civilian domain. Always, however, there has been a ready excuse, as is there again — external forces are preventing the government from focusing wholly on its priorities. Ministers including Khurram Dastgir and Muhammad Zubair have complained about the politics of agitation; government advisers and public relations figures have lamented the allegations against the first family; and seemingly the whole government machinery is distracted by the need to deny any wrongdoing by the Sharifs and to denounce opposition figures. Cabinet meetings, already rare, seem to have become a non-priority. Inter-provincial forums, already moribund, have been virtually forgotten. Events critical to future planning, such as the census, are debated in a desultory manner. The only matter that appears to animate the government is the Panama Papers and the negative light the revelations contained therein have cast on the first family.
To be sure, few, if any, in the political opposition are interested in anything other than the Panama Papers, the ongoing Supreme Court hearings and the colourful media trials staged in the electronic media on a daily basis. Gone, at least in recent weeks, has been any opposition interest in electoral reforms. Next month, the sunset clause in the 21st Amendment will trigger itself and military courts will stand disbanded — but there is no parliamentary interest in judicial reforms evident. Yet, the greater burden is necessarily on the elected government, not the political opposition. As the chief custodian of the democratic project, the government has a responsibility to not only govern, but to demonstrate that governance is the primary priority no matter the temporary distractions. The government needs to do much better.
State of universities
DESPITE efforts by the state to create a world-class higher education system, Pakistani universities — especially in the public sector — have largely not been successful in promoting outstanding scholarship. Perhaps the prime reason for this is the ad hocism that prevails in the higher education sector, indeed, as it does in other vital areas of national life. As reported in this paper on Friday, the Lahore High Court ordered the Punjab government to hire permanent vice chancellors in four public-sector varsities in the province. The court felt there was no room in the law for appointing acting vice chancellors for an indefinite period. When it comes to management of tertiary institutions in Pakistan, there is much that needs improvement. Suffice it to say, those in senior administrative posts at universities must be selected on merit, should be free to run their institutions as per the law without political or bureaucratic meddling, and have stellar academic records. Unfortunately, in some major public higher educational institutions, individuals have been appointed whose credentials have been questioned; some have been accused of plagiarism. Perhaps these incidents should initiate soul-searching among federal and provincial authorities on how to better manage universities in this country.
One major area of concern is the power struggle between the centre and the provinces over devolution of higher education in the aftermath of the 18th Amendment. While this amendment was passed in 2010, today, only Sindh and Punjab have their own provincial higher education commissions. Whether it is the centre that is reluctant to devolve power to the federating units, or the provinces which lack capacity, the stakeholders must seriously discuss the issues standing in the way of better management and improvement of tertiary education in Pakistan. The provinces should take the initiative to reform the tertiary sector, while the federal HEC can play a supervisory and complementary role. Both sides must work in a cooperative spirit and eschew combative postures. The focus should be on hiring university managers on merit, with freedom to operate their institutions, while the zero-tolerance policy concerning academic crimes such as plagiarism must be enforced across the board. Unless this critical management issue is resolved, our public universities will continue to churn out below par graduates, unable to compete globally. With dedicated educators, an environment of academic freedom and inquiry, and a strong adherence to ethical principles, our varsities can hopefully turn the corner.
Reopening Gadani
THE ship-breakers association is calling on the government to allow for a reopening of their business in Gadani after last month’s massive tragedy that resulted in the death of at least 26 workers and left scores injured. Yes, work has to resume at the site as an indefinite closure would affect business and livelihoods, but the government must first ask the association what sort of safety measures have been installed to avoid future accidents — and ensure that these meet international standards. On top of that, the business owners should be asked about compensation to the families of the deceased and injured. Gadani has become notorious as a hazardous place of work, where, to save a little money, the owners of shipyard businesses refuse to invest in workers’ safety. A detailed report of the myriad failures that led to the tragedy ought to be drawn up, with recommendations on what steps the owners have to take before being allowed to resume operations. It would be a travesty if operations were resumed without any lessons being learnt.
The business owners should also be asked what penalties should apply to them in any future accident. How much responsibility are they willing to take for the well-being of their workers, in the name of whose livelihoods they have issued their call for resumption of work? Their argument that somehow work on CPEC projects is being impacted by the closure of their businesses is disingenuous at best. How much of the steel being used in CPEC projects is sourced from their work? The owners must understand that it cannot be business as usual after such a horrific tragedy. They are entrusted with the lives of the labourers in their factories and yards, and if any harm comes to them during their work, the owners must own their share of responsibility. Are the owners prepared to prioritise the well-being and safety of the workers? The yard must not be allowed to open until the answer to this question is in the affirmative.
Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2016