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The IMF has finally awakened to a severe transgression of law and justice as it has raised objections to a legislation that grants Members of Parliament immunity from declaring their assets. The amendment to the Elections Act, 2017 called for a limit to public disclosure of legislators’ assets and liabilities. Though the impugned act is yet to become a law, as it has not been passed by the Senate, it is by all means implementable in our lawless society where the elite is treated above law.
The Fund has rightly questioned attempts to restrict the right of people to know the assets and liabilities of elected representatives and the means of their income. The civil society and intelligentsia too had raised a hue and cry over it, only to be silenced with the passage of time. The same is the case with bureaucrats who remain off the hook, despite most of them continuing to live beyond their lawful sources of income.
The international lender felt like intervening in this ‘sacrosanct’ issue of elite capture as the country is under an obligation to ensure transparency in its public profile. The $7 billion bailout package makes it mandatory for Islamabad to come clean on money-laundering, stashing of assets abroad and concealment of properties and liabilities. Legislators and civil servants, by virtue of sitting in the highest echelons, are primarily in the spotlight. As per World Bank estimates, more than $17 billion per annum is spent on retaining this segment of society.
The IMF is also on record having stated that Pakistan could improve its GDP by 5 to 6 per cent if stringent administrative reforms are introduced, and the enigma of ‘state capture’ is addressed. It is believed that ‘state apparatus’ is frequently used to enrich specific groups at the expense of the broader public.
Last but not least, the country’s top anti-graft agency recently recovered Rs5.3 trillion from the wheelers and dealers, but with little or no conviction. Thus, the government’s attitude of skimming the issue by furnishing excuses is unacceptable, and it is high time the black sheep were exposed and ethics of transparent governance were upheld.
