ISLAMABAD, March 18: Strategic planners have advised the government to change the decades old political, social and economic culture that is a big hindrance in providing essential services, including justice and security to the people. Dawn learnt on authority on Saturday that Planning Commission officials had made it clear to the government that in any civilized country, the state had basic responsibilities for the provision of justice, security, education, health sanitation, water and other essential services.

“If we continue to fail in providing security, justice and other basic services to our people, we would never be called a successful state and in this behalf we have given our mind to the higher authorities,” said an official of the Planning Commission.

He referred to a study of the Commission according to which, unless social and political institutions were strengthened, imbalances and tensions within the social milieu would hold the country back. Like most successful countries, Pakistan would be multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi- religious and would face the challenge of integrating migrants into its social milieu.

The study called for critically re-examining the future role and responsibilities of the state in providing basic services to people by weaving a thread of administrative and social cohesive partnership with its citizens.

“Pakistan needs to confront several hard social choices to successfully overcome the transition to a developed nation. For enlightenment and moderation to take roots, it is imperative to achieve synthesis among the streams of religion, cultural and scientific methodology. The basic thread in the discourse of Vision 2030 will remain the creation of a just society, without which Pakistan will not flourish and prosper,” the study said.

It also said that at the national level, a critical consensus had developed that no reforms or restructuring could be successful, unless a change was brought about in the competence and quality of public services.

The availability of safe and secure environment with easy access to justice is a basic right of every citizen, and is also a pre-requite to economic development. “The institutions with provisions of security and efficient, timely dispensation of justice must be significantly strengthened”.

“We must address the issue of language of education. English is, and will remain extremely important, but will be a foreign language in Pakistan. While its importance cannot be denied, fundamental progress in basic and technical education may only be possible by giving due importance to Urdu.”