Seemingly the endemic disease of corruption cannot be cured or perhaps it has changed into an incurable virus that has infected every mechanism and individual. Government employees from top to lowest ranks complain about the widespread corruption that has changed the government into ineffective organization watching the miseries and sufferings of the civilians.
The Finance Minister, Mr. Omar Zakhilwal recently blamed member of the lower house of the parliament of engagement in drug and alcohol trafficking. However, his revelation was interpreted as personal grudge against MPs because they were trying to summon him to the parliament over mismanagement of the ministry, but the corruption has become so prevalent that it looks very hard to accept that ministers or MPs are not involved in a particular type of corruption.
Previously similar allegation was put by Ministry of Interior too. The Ministry claimed that MPs were asking the Interior Minister to appoint their relatives and friends in the particular positions otherwise he would be summoned to parliament for his failure to spend the development budget. It is possible that such comments are made in order to lessen the pressure of Parliament over Ministries but they cannot entirely be baseless. There is a popular proverb - “unless wind blows, bushes would not start swinging”. So, it is highly unlikely that if MPs have not committed any mistake regarding influencing the Ministers, it does not just step ahead and claim that they are involved in corruption; that also with such confidence that they have all necessary documents to prove their allegations.
No doubt, we have an elected parliament where MPs were elected somehow through descent vote of their supporters. Due to familiarity of civilians with their representatives – because parliamentary election unlike Presidential one goes down to the community and people vote for individuals who perhaps have grown in their very locality – it was hoped that they would understand their pain and sufferings and try their best to find a solution. Not only common civilians but also intellectuals hoped that Parliament might play effective role in eradication of corruption through ratcheting up pressure on administration for accountability and responsibility.
But the activities of our respected MPs completely disappointed civilians. Presently, it is difficult to distinguish between administration and Parliament while voicing criticism against corruption and failures to deliver essential services. People do not dislike MPs less than the Ministers. The promises made during electoral campaign were forgotten on the first day they found way to parliament.
The disappointment caused by such unfulfilled promises has led to huge hatred among civilians.
Presently, the daily sessions of parliament somehow look similar to a dejected primary school in the remote restive area from particular prospective. From 249 MPs, half of them are absent on daily bases. Agendas are generally postponed or cancelled due to lack of quorum. A small discussion on whether, for example, to summon particular Minister on account of blunt failure to spend their budget stretch to months and end up to physical clashes within the parliament members.
Video clips released through social networks sometimes make us cry for the destiny of the people. Our MPs’ childish behaviors and unprofessional approach towards issues have terribly affected the prestige of the house. It can be seen in the video clips that sometimes after arguments and interference of security, the rest of MPs generally prefer to leave and go home instead of wasting their energy to sit and solve the problem in a grown-up way.
Moreover, the monthly salaries of MPs are not more than a thousand US dollar. But looking at the luxuries of their life styles; doesn’t the question rise that how they reached to such standard of living through earning only a thousand US dollar. There are no MPs who do not own personal drivers and luxurious cars which are worth tens of thousands of dollars and a very modern and luxurious house whose minimum worth goes beyond hundred thousand dollars!! Forget about the extravagant expenditures they make for the rest of things.
So, how they reached to such ideal life style while previously they were like the rest of common civilians wandering for survival? Is the parliament a financial market? Are they engaged in business? Some might say ‘yes’. It is claimed that after finding way to parliament they started personal business. Why did not they do so before becoming a MP?
First of all, people voted them to solve their problems not commence a personal business. They should be present in daily meetings rather than going after their business. Do they have the right to deal with their business while they were selected for the house through the common people’s vote?
Even if we consider that our MPs are not involved in drug trafficking as claimed by Mr. Omar Zakhilwal, isn’t it involved in corruption? Secondly, such an enormous wealth hardly comes from any business except misuse of power or involvement in corruption.
Without any doubt, if democracy had roots in the country and political parties were not acting on the line of community and ethnicity rather on national consideration, for the next parliamentary election we would have been witness to complete new faces from new political parties.
Unfortunately, it is not so. People choose their representative due to their communal linkage. Thus, politicians would easily keep their seats in governments or get better positions through motivating civilians stand behind them on account of communal sentiments and hidden grudge. This is one of the evil factors ahead of political development.