Corruption in Pakistan has been checked to almost zero level, says a State official. Listen:
However, there are many sips between the cup and the lip, as the status quo is up in arms and ready to take on institutions who have closed ranks, several observers say. “Unusual it is that State institutions including PM Imran Khan’s (political) government are all together for change,” comments one Islamabad observer.
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“Normally the State is the symbol of status quo. In Pakistan, political parties opposed to Khan have banded together for so-called “democracy” and dubbing the transformational changes taking place as “misgovernance”, says one Karachi-based political analyst.
Pakistan has been suffering from dysfunctionalism in its civil institutions (bureaucratic) for decades concurrent with uptick in corruption, nepotism and “creative” financial management to tackle economy and run it on GDP growth –hiccups pushed under the carpet. Global lending institutions over a decade now have been insisting on structural reforms which political parties considered a “hot potato” on their table. “They opted for populist moves,” says one Pakistani expert. “Over the years the chicken have come home to roost”
There’s now talk about a “national dialogue” which Khan dubs as an attempt to whitewash corruption by those (politically exposed persons) being investigated, charged, indicted or punished for having “income beyond means”, etc. Khan won’t give in as his public mandate stands for change, a senior member of his party PTI says.
