The
definition of “bureaucracy” can be termed as a collection of various networks
unified with one another and is called “Internet”. Bureaucracy is a form of
organization in which office holders hold high positions and titles. Formal
rules specify the duties of the office holders. Personality distinction is
usually discouraged by the rules.
That
political system is called Plutocracy, government of the rich elite and not
democracy. If people‘s problems are not being solved in Pakistan in the present
political system, we must reconsider our notion of democracy, so we can say “Bureaucracy
in Pakistan is Actually Plutocracy”.
The UN’s opinion
that Pakistan’s politics has become the inheritance of only 100 families shows
the depths to which politics has been personalized.
According to its human development index, 49 percent of the population has been
pushed below the poverty line; besides, the standards of public health and
education have considerably deteriorated. The UN report was also critical of
the Benazir Income Support programmed
saying that better programmers
would have to be introduced to fight poverty.
If
we discuss these fundamentals in the background of Pakistan, these were never
observed in our political setup. In the current scenario, one needs at least 50
lakh to 1 crore to contest an election of Provincial assembly and at least 1-2
crore for National assembly. Such huge amounts for contesting elections can
only be spent either by land lords or industrialists, or by those who have
earned fat amounts of money through corruption. This also means that in
Pakistan, the only criterion to be a part of this political system is money and
not the ability of the candidate. You cannot go forward unless you have a
handsome amount in your hand. “Monetocracy” i.e. power of money to progress
forward instead of “meritocracy” is the prevailing norm of our political
system. That is why, a corrupt elite is ruling us instead of able and competent
politicians.
A new cause has taken birth in Pakistani bureaucracy is that now
they have started interconnect themselves with army men, businessmen and other
bureaucrats by marrying their sons and daughters in order to strengthen their
network. Some of the bureaucrats run their industries together with working as
ruler. A complaint against any bureaucrat, if lodged by a common man with the
Minister, Prime Minister and even President, is also attended by another
bureaucrat and thus no action is taken against the culprit bureaucrat.Consequently, bureaucracy in Pakistan is plutocracy which aims at benefiting public resources as defined above. The next post will throw light on personal character of different bureaucrats individually by name.
