Free advice for Imran Khan
FAMOUSLY, and to much acclaim from his devoted fans, Imran Khan has declared that he will end corruption in either 19 or 90 days, depending on which version you believe.
But in either case, he is sure he will root out this evil in a very short period. In this desire, he is in good company: Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia and Musharraf all promised to clean up the system. We all know how that went for them and for us.
It’s not that I doubt Imran Khan’s intentions, or that I would like to see him fail should the improbable happen, and he actually comes to power. As a Pakistani, there’s nothing I would rather like to see than a country free of corruption.
But as somebody who has spent most of his working life in the bureaucracy, I can say with some authority that the whole system is now so steeped in venality that I doubt any one ruler has the power to eradicate it in a single lifetime. And this is not the cynic in me speaking, but the practical ex-civil servant.
I know Imran Khan is surrounded by many bright advisers, but this column is intended as a free input into his ongoing policymaking exercise.
Let me start with a personal example. After I took early retirement from the civil service to head a private university whose lovely campus was nearing completion on the outskirts of Karachi, the electrical contractor complained that a provincial inspector was demanding a bribe to issue a certificate. Without this piece of paper, we could not get power from the grid.
I happened to have a friend who was a provincial minister, so I called her to report this complaint. In a couple of days, she rang back to say that she had had the inspector transferred to Thatta, and I passed on the good news to the contractor. A day later, he came to me in a state of great distress, and asked me to have the transfer cancelled.
When I asked him why, he replied that the inspector’s successor and friends in other departments would make it impossible for him to work in the area. “The bureaucracy’s a mafia,” he explained. “You target one member, and the rest of the gang goes for you.” In the event, I refused to call my friend again, and have no idea how things worked out for the contractor.
Here’s another example: when I took over as accountant general Sindh in the mid-1980s, I was aware the office had a reputation for corruption, especially in its pension section. After immediately changing the entire staff there, I put an ad in the newspapers announcing that an officer would record any complaints between 11 and 12 every day.
Often I would join the officer as we waited for complaints to come pouring in. In one month, not a single person came forward. Disappointed and puzzled, I discussed this failure with colleagues. One of them explained, as though to a naïve child, that people knew that if they complained against an official, they would incur the ire of all his colleagues. They would then settle scores after my tenure ended.
These are only some of the realities of corruption. Our businessmen are fond of sitting in their drawing rooms and cursing crooked officials. What they leave unsaid is that mostly, they benefit from this system as they pay bribes to either speed up their cases, or cut corners that allow them to make greater profits. In short, they are partners in crime with the officials they bribe.
And corruption is not restricted to the state sector. Senior executives of large corporations are well aware of how their procurement staff skim off a percentage on the items they buy. Bank managers are not above charging clients a percentage of the loans they disburse. Elected members of well-known clubs are known to make money on contracts and kitchen expenses.
The military is Pakistan’s biggest department in terms of money spent, and given the size of defence contracts, the alleged bribes in this area are huge. But the opaque nature of these transactions, and the clout of those in charge, makes it difficult to quantify the extent of the graft. At the field level, I have heard of at least one commanding officer of a battalion who regularly siphoned off a part of his unit’s food allowance.
Turning to political corruption, the rules of business make it difficult for ministers to accept payoffs without the connivance of the bureaucrats reporting to them. Thus, if a minister demands (or is offered) a bribe for a contract, it is his underlings who will have to make the case and sign the agreement. Thus, politicians have every incentive to ensure they have pliable officers in their departments.
It is this deepening corruption, as well as its social acceptance, that has caused such demoralisation in the higher echelons of the bureaucracy. Incidentally, when Imran Khan says he will clean up the system when he comes to power, does he think his party will win at the centre and the provinces simultaneously? He needs to remember that the sprawling provincial bureaucracies do not fall under Islamabad’s control.
One problem Imran Khan and his team do not seem to have grasped is that low government salaries are one of the prime factors behind the widespread corruption. If I am honest, I will have to concede that I was easily able to resist temptation because I had only one child to educate, and my parents did not need my financial support. Also, my writing brought in a little extra income to pay for books. Most civil servants do not fall into this narrow category.
None of this is to suggest that it is impossible to at least reduce corruption, but it needs a sustained effort, not just empty slogans. Over the years, we have heard plenty of those. Somehow, the bureaucracy needs to be trimmed as it is far larger than our needs. And pay scales need to be brought into step with financial and social reality.
Above all, we must realise that corruption is a fact of life in the developing world. Even industrialised countries have their share of it. So a sense of proportion is needed while tackling this ancient evil.
The writer is the author of Fatal Faultlines: Pakistan, Islam and the West.
irfan.husain@gmail.com
I agree with Irfan Hussain whose gist is that Imran Khan isn’t able to eliminate corruption in the country what people dream. Since most of Sonami Khan’s supporters are young who haven’t any political maturity. That’s the reason they just dream but unaware of reality. Pakistan has become ungovernable state. I wonder what Khan has magic wand that he will end corruption within short span. Our country isn’t facing only corruption but many other political, geographical threats that needs to be solved first to pave the way for further actions. In my words Imran Khan is no doubt a sincere politician like Nawaz Sharif but he is arrogant, short sighted and above all political immature. I suggest he should work hard and throw away backing of ESTABLISHMENT.
And we also know how it went for ZAB,BB,and Nawaz Sharif and writer will soon find out how it goes for Zardari. LOL all of whom left no stone unturned to loot and destroy the country. Ayub Khan (the so called dictator) was the only leader who achieved so much for Pakistan during his tenure, he built schools, colleges and universities,major dams, road and bridges,major industries and city of Islamabad and he deserves proper credit for that, his era is considered golden era of Pakistan. and finally IMRAN KHAN IS THE LAST HOPE WE HAVE TO SAVE PAKISTAN from these thieves of today.
Imran’s tsunami is Jihad against corruption and we all must participate in this noble cause. Do agree that it’s a time taking task and can’t be eradicated overnight. To get to that point we have to start NOW and this is the time to elect Imran – who we trust can lead us to achieve this target. Inshallah.
I have noticed that a lot of people are willing to give I.K a go at Prime ministership just because he hasn’t been tried before..If that’s the criterion then why not elect me as the PM. I’m a well-meaning Pakistani who has never held an office before. I have radical plans for taking Pakistan into the ranks of developed countries within a couple of years. You only have to elect me as the PM.
For that, sir, you’ll need to field candidates from quite a few constituencies. You’ll also need to make the majority of Pakistanis know who you are and what you’re standing up for. The public will surely think about giving you a chance too, then.
sayyed mehdi. well said
Maybe because you have not spent 17 years of your life for the cause and grown naturally along the way?
Apart from everything, Khan should be given the benefit of doubt for not been in power unlike PML N and PPP. Plus we all know he not not corrupt as far as financial issues are concerned. Why should we try the same someone again and again. Khan might be worst then all before him but yet to be seen. So lets see him as least
I honestly believe that coruption can be curtailed to a minimal level and the public and private officials can be forced to thibk straight. IT will have to start with an honest and proactive leadership. The examples of Mr. Irfan Khan were all the people with their hands in the till. What peole sense immediately is the hyprcracy of the leaders and enforcers. So, unless you gove the absolute power to somebody like Imran Khan, it will be unrealistic to believe that he can do anything to change or make a dent. It is up to the public to elect. After all they did trust Military, Bhuttos and the Sharifs and Altafs. What is wrong with one more mistake . We cannot be worse off than what we have now.
Rafi Aziz
I think the writer has got it all wrong. Imran never said that he will end corruption in the country in 90 days. What Imran had said in his Karachi speech was that he would end corruption from all high offices of government in 90 days. That is not impossible. The writer needs to get his hands on the recording of that Karachi public meeting and listen to Imran’s speech again.
Indeed free advice for Imran Khan. I little doubt his intentions but as you mention, corruption cannot be completely eliminated but only reduced in 90 days.
This free advice is still overpriced.
We need to encourage Imran Khan in his anti-corruption work. It is a slow process but democracy can help in the long run.
imran khan should stick to his charitable work.
Quresshi sahab,after a long time there comes a man who calls a spade a spade.Imran has been in the west and he could have comfortably stayed there.please suppot him and he might change the course and history of Pakistan.