Good governance is a buzzword

Good governance has become a buzzword that seems to promise to eradicate corruption, incompetency, inefficiency, ineffectiveness and un-democratic practices, and at the same time ensures socio-economic justice. Military, Judiciary and media are raising this issue. Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali, addressing a seminar on role of ombudsman in providing administrative justice in Sindh said: “It is prime duty of the government to bring improvements in the socio-economic system and ensure that rights of citizens are protected, and there should not be any economical exploitation at any level. Misadministration and corruption was destroying the fabric of the society like a termite and people face hardship due to delay in dispensation of justice.” Last week, addressing a dinner event of Karachi Bar Association, he had said: “As a nation we have strayed from the right direction; and this is not the Pakistan Allama Iqbal had dreamt of.”
He had added that corruption, incompetence and bad governance were prime reasons for Pakistan’s troubles, and spirit and determination were required to tackle the country’s problems. Certainly the time has come when the political hierarchies ruling at the centre and in provinces must give a penetrating look to their act. For, the causes they presently are championing so fervently and the fracas they are waging so stridently are enthusing no one on the street. Issues of electoral reforms, constitutional reforms, civil and military relations and local bodies’ elections may be hogging heated controversies in political quarters, media studios, civil society offices, chattering classes and deluxe parlors. But there is none talking of them; none is even taking a passing notice of them. But the street is thunderously silent. People in fact want jobs and reduction in the prices of essential items of daily use.
If the political hierarchies are any real, they should get alarmed for the street is likely to react over skyrocketing price rise, galloping unemployment, corruption and the crime wave. And it could surge into a tidal storm. This should make the political hierarchies sit up, for the people are angry not just with the political class; more alarmingly they are getting alienated with the very prevalent system. Not a real democracy though we are; whatever the sham democracy we have, that too is losing the people’s trust rapidly. They have to take serious notice of this public alienation and anger and set about earnestly to tackle the underlying causes of the public disgust and frustration effectively to the greater satisfaction of the mass of the people. They all need to understand that it is the kick on the stomach that hurts the most.
The issues of bread and butter come to the masses uppermost; and everything else is just secondary. If the ruling hierarchies are any wise, they must for a change stand up firmly to go cracking on the runaway price rises and unemployment. Sit-ins, dharnas and jalsas are definitely no answers to these gigantic problems. Those shows can bring media publicity and projection to the actors, but prices and jobs are serious matters that can be sorted out only with hard-boiled thinking, creative ideas, and well-considered administrative measures. Federal Finance Minister is upbeat that foreign exchange reserves are all time high at $20 billion, and inflation rate is very low. But people are not interested in the foreign exchange reserves touching unprecedented highs, and want that prices of flour, pulses and other items of daily use should be within the reach of common man.