The cancer of corruption is spreading worldwide, some spots with extended growth, while others in the form of tumours, but prevalent nevertheless all over. Unfortunately, Pakistan falls in the thick growth area and is rated as one of the most corrupt countries, way up in the ladder of the world corruption order.
What is still more alarming is that it has been there for quite some time now and likely to stay near the top for the for seeable future, unless measures are taken to arrest the spread. Corruption hurts economies, people, and governments. Corruption is unethical, immoral and illegal in all societies, religions, and countries. It needs to be rooted out. Private organisations, the United Nations and some governments have attempted to stop corruption, or at least check it, but have failed.
Corruption is primarily of two types: need-based corruption (NBC) and greed-based corruption (GBC). Both are found in public as well as private sectors. The NBC originates in the lower echelons of the bureaucracy, who are not paid enough to make both ends meet and on the top of it are also not provided with subsidised amenities and facilities by the government. Imagine the plight of one such functionary, whose child is seriously ill and he has no money even to buy medicines! He would do anything to save the life of his child, let alone corruption. I am not trying to justify the NBC, but it needs to be seriously looked into. In my opinion, instead of eliminating need-based corruption only with an iron fist, more thought and effort are required to eliminate the causes giving rise to it.
Small-scale corruption has another dimension also, in developing countries where a lot needs to be achieved in comparatively a shorter time. In the early 1960s, the late M. Latif Qureshi, the first Director General of PIDE (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad), in reply to a question as to when would the country get rid of corruption, said: "You tip a waiter to ensure promptness of the service you get the next time you visit the place." He continued, "So is the case in the developing countries. Time is at premium and a lot of work is to be done. To do it promptly, someone might have to work over-time. The clerk or the section officer concerned could take your file home, do some extra work on it and get your job done quickly saving you time and money. So you tip him for it." Somewhat shocked I asked him if he was advocating corruption. "No, no; corruption would be if the government functionary resorts to extortion and arm-twisting, sits on your file or refuses to process it unless you pay what he demands. That would be corruption. Here you pay 'willingly' for the prompt service that you got from him," he clarified. Alas! what Mr Qureshi didn't realise then was that the tip would transform into the present-day curse where nothing would move in offices until the palm was greased and the money passed under the table. Incidentally, Mr Qureshi was the author of the First Five Year Plan of Pakistan, a copy of which was presented to the visiting Korean delegation by President Ayub Khan. The Koreans implemented it as it was. Ironically, that was the plan which laid the foundations of modern Korea's miraculous economic success!
Greed-based corruption is more dangerous and detrimental to the progress of the country and needs to be eradicated from society. However, it has become an accepted norm in the culture of the elite - politicians, the bureaucracy, including the judiciary, business tycoons and corporate magnates, bankers and lawyers, defence procurement officials both civil and military etc. An effective investigation of offenders leading to penalties and prosecution is almost impossible and if there is one it is more of an exception than a rule. Agencies such as the FIA, NAB and the police have launched a number of high-profile investigations in recent years, and the higher organs of the judiciary (the Supreme Court as well as the provincial High Courts) regularly issue rulings and directives designed to curb corruption in the public domain, yet the problem is so pervasive and all encompassing that a general climate of impunity seems to prevail. Investigations tend to be costly, laborious and lengthy, with no guarantee of success in many cases. The master perpetrators are so clever that they hardly leave a trail behind to track them down. Invariably, the court finds itself helpless, either out of connivance or at the hands of smart lawyers, or both. Who ever heard of appointing the judges of one's choice at the higher judiciary, other than on merit and seniority? Does someone expect favours from thus appointed judges? A judge is a judge and will do only justice irrespective of who appoints him. The judiciary, as such, has a key role to play in eliminating the curse of the GBC. Along with the judiciary, civil society has also to rise to the occasion. In that it should ostracise the corrupt and boycott them socially altogether. Let the corrupt stew all alone, without any friends, callers or sympathisers, in his own soup o f corruption forever, to the extent that none attends even his funeral. Only such harsh treatment will leech out the last drop of avarice from the blood of these loathsome greed-based, corrupt people.
Regarding the overall corruption in the country, minor or major, it would be wrong to assume that corruption is only due to the attitude of civil servants or those in public administration and the law-enforcement agencies. It is the insatiate greed in almost every segment of society which causes corruption. From the ordinary vendor and trader to the largest mill owner, everyone indulges in adulteration, under-weighing, counterfeiting, over-charging and tax evasion. Manufacturing of fake medicines and different brands of products is quite common. Ever noticed the ice-cream cup with its false bottom? The bottom is raised inwardly to hold only about 3/4th of the ice-cream in its otherwise full looking cup! What a shame. How innocent children are cheated of their ice-cream. Hoarding, black-marketing and profiteering are rampant. The meters of petrol pumps and taxis are rigged. Ticketless travelling has gone beyond its customary realm of rail and road travel to the higher spheres of international air travel. Conductors of public transport and toll collectors do not issue tickets to commuters and, thus, cheat their owners. Even educational institutions - schools and universities - and the sacrosanct madrassas and the pulpit are hardly corruption free.
People seem to have lost a sense of virtue, of right and wrong. Believe it or not, a ruling minister of state, in a live telecast TV show, was heard commenting. "Why, don't we have a right to be corrupt?"! He went on to say that only a fool would not indulge in corruption under the prevalent circumstances.
The prevalent circumstances would have to be changed.
To grasp this sorry scheme of thing entire
Shatter it to bits and remould nearer the heart’s desire
Omar Khayyam