Why PTI failed to implement reform agenda in first two years?
Incremental adjustments instead of real reforms introduced by PTI government
PTI came
with very strong promises of reform. It promised fundamental reforms in
governance, provision of justice, equity and law and order and eradication of
corruption. The PTI had promised major investments in human development,
especially health, education and skill provision, housing and employment
generation/creation.
The biggest
disappointment about PTI government is that it failed to introduce promised
reforms in police, judiciary, administration, criminal justice system and tax
system. There is hardly any improvement in governance.
In the first
two years of its government, the PTI failed to implement the promised reforms
in the governance structure, the judicial system, the economy, the civil
service and the police.
So far, the
PTI government has opted for incremental adjustments in the political, economic
and administrative systems instead of bringing about any real reforms to create
Naya Pakistan. The only visible change in the last 100 days is that new faces
now occupy the highest political offices.
Artificial
measures, empty promises, U-turns, mere slogans and rhetoric have been the
hallmark of the PTI government’s two years in power. This has exposed the party’s
incompetence, ill-preparedness, and confusion in policy matters.
The PTI came
into power with slogans of change. Before the general elections were held on
July 25, the party announced its political, governance and economic reforms
agenda that it would implement in the first 100 days in office. The PTI clearly
stated that its action plan would fix longstanding structural issues that
continue to plague governance, the federation and the economy, besides
strengthening security.
Then the
deadline extended to six months. After six months, the government started to say
that it will take longer than it initially thought to implement the reform
agenda. Now after two years, the PTI government is saying let’s wait till the completion
of its tenure in 2023. In first two years, none of the major reforms have been
introduced.
Not a single
concrete step was taken in the first two years to reform the police system and
do away with the Thana culture. Right-wing reforms always strengthen the status
quo and the domination of ruling class. As a right-wing populist party, the PTI
will adopt similar reforms to strengthen the forces of the status quo.
Therefore, the PTI government is following policies that benefit the ruling
class and the elite. There is hardly any difference between the policies of the
PTI government and those introduced during the PML-N and PPP governments.
Civil
service, police and judicial reforms are essentially about decolonising the
colonial state structure and introducing drastic changes in socioeconomic
structures. Reforms can never transform or replace the existing system. They
only make repressive and exploitative systems more acceptable for the working
class.
The ruling
classes undertake serious reforms under two conditions. First, when they are
convinced that these reforms will inevitably improve their own system and make
it more efficient. Second, the ruling classes are facing immense pressure from
the working class and the middle class to accept their demands and make
necessary changes in the system. Mass
movements organised by the working class and the middle class can impose enough
pressure on the ruling class and the government to initiate radical reforms and
drastic changes in the system. The radical reforms introduced by Zulfiqar Ali
Bhutto in the 1970s were the result of the mass mobilisation of the working
class, and sections of radicalised the middle class, students and peasants.
Unfortunately,
both conditions don’t exist in Pakistan at present to initiate drastic measures
to change socioeconomic policies and reform the system. The PTI government is
not in a position to go against the political, economic and social interests of
feudal lords, tribal chiefs, the state bureaucracy and the capitalist class to
initiate land reforms, progressive tax reforms, and decolonise the state
structure.
The people
want the government to concentrate on issues related to poverty; unemployment;
educational and health woes; judicial, civil service and police reforms; social
justice; inequality; and exploitation. They want to see a new direction in
terms of policies.
I criticised
the policies of the PTI government in an earlier article, titled ‘A
disappointing start’ published in these pages on September 7. Some readers
criticised me for prematurely giving my verdict on the performance of a
government that was just two weeks old.
“Imran
Khan’s right-wing populist government has done little on the economic front,” I
wrote. “…There will be no major change in terms of economic policies because
the economic team consists of reliable economists who subscribe to the
IMF/World Bank school of thought and believe in the free market and neoliberal
economic policies.
“Although
the PTI government’s economic managers and advisers may be seasoned
professionals who have served in both national and international institutions,
and have the best intentions, the fault lies with the ideas and policies that
they represent. They aren’t prepared to learn from the experiences and results
of the neoliberal onslaught and the failure of the free-market policies over
the last three decades. The right-wing PTI government wants to continue with
its old economic policies, but expects different results”.
It seems
that the PTI has no concrete plan or policy to enhance productive capacity and
boost agricultural and industrial production. Industrialisation is still a
distant dream, and land reforms and the modernisation of agriculture are
necessary to reduce rural poverty. The desire to reduce poverty and
unemployment cannot be realised without investing in efforts to increase the
productive capacity of the industrial and agricultural sectors.
PTI
government came into power on high hopes of change and reforms. The PTI leaders
made tall claims of ‘Naya Pakistan’ and ‘Tabdeeli’. None of the major election promises
and manifesto pledges so far been fulfilled by PTI government.
PTI leadership is not ready to accept the fact that it raised the hopes of the people unrealistically without realising the ground realities. It made unrealistic promises and pledges. Radical rhetoric was used without any concrete strategy and homework. It made promises that were not possible to fulfill in a declining economy.
Khalid Bhatti
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