Corruption and Good Governance in Pakistan
123 Pakistan Economic and Social Review
Volume 48, No. 1 (Summer 2010), pp. 123-134
CORRUPTION AND ITS DEEP IMPACT ON GOOD GOVERNANCE IN PAKISTAN
UMBREEN JAVAID*
Abstract. Good Governance flourish in a necessarily corruption free situation. Pakistan is unfortunately way down on the ladder on this account. Corruption of all magnitudes mega, moderate and petty permeates all tiers of governance and all segments of the society public, private, political, judicial, commercial and even religions. Paradoxically corruption acts as the balancing market mechanism here in a vastly unregulated administrative paradigm. There exists surreal economic rationale for this give and take at the individual level but economic cost to the society is stupendous. Corruption severely impacts the life of the citizens through less returns on resource use and adds manifold to their cost of living. Genesis of corruption in Pakistan can be traced to the mega events of 1940s to 1990s and even the current decade. Serious attempts at accountability originating in mid 1990s and fortified on the turn of the century farcically turned into tools of political patronage or victimization. For the last two years there is a practically a legal vacuum at the national level. A host of measures are needed to eradicate this menace. The awareness in the general public and emergence of a strong civil society, vociferous media and a newly independent judiciary all by themselves stand as a guarantee to the success of any future programme of accountability.
I. INTRODUCTION
Corruption defined as misuse of entrusted power for private benefit is unfortunately endemic in Pakistan. No structure, no tier and no office of public sector is immune from it. Its spread is enormous. It has reached every organ of state — beyond executive it has put its claws on judiciary and legislature even. It would be no exaggeration to say that the whole body of the state of Pakistan is suffering from this malaise and wailing under
Volume 48, No. 1 (Summer 2010), pp. 123-134
CORRUPTION AND ITS DEEP IMPACT ON GOOD GOVERNANCE IN PAKISTAN
UMBREEN JAVAID*
Abstract. Good Governance flourish in a necessarily corruption free situation. Pakistan is unfortunately way down on the ladder on this account. Corruption of all magnitudes mega, moderate and petty permeates all tiers of governance and all segments of the society public, private, political, judicial, commercial and even religions. Paradoxically corruption acts as the balancing market mechanism here in a vastly unregulated administrative paradigm. There exists surreal economic rationale for this give and take at the individual level but economic cost to the society is stupendous. Corruption severely impacts the life of the citizens through less returns on resource use and adds manifold to their cost of living. Genesis of corruption in Pakistan can be traced to the mega events of 1940s to 1990s and even the current decade. Serious attempts at accountability originating in mid 1990s and fortified on the turn of the century farcically turned into tools of political patronage or victimization. For the last two years there is a practically a legal vacuum at the national level. A host of measures are needed to eradicate this menace. The awareness in the general public and emergence of a strong civil society, vociferous media and a newly independent judiciary all by themselves stand as a guarantee to the success of any future programme of accountability.
I. INTRODUCTION
Corruption defined as misuse of entrusted power for private benefit is unfortunately endemic in Pakistan. No structure, no tier and no office of public sector is immune from it. Its spread is enormous. It has reached every organ of state — beyond executive it has put its claws on judiciary and legislature even. It would be no exaggeration to say that the whole body of the state of Pakistan is suffering from this malaise and wailing under
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