THIS is with reference to the letter ‘It’s time for all to save the Titanic’ (March 20), which suggested some measures to put things on an even keel. Any reference to the resolution of April 1946 and to the Quaid’s speech of Aug 11, 1947, is not complete without taking into consideration the Objectives Resolution unanimously adopted by the first Constituent Assembly on March 12, 1949, which is a part of the 1973 Constitution as its article 2A.
As regards having strong and effective 129 district governments in the country, it is, in fact, a step towards unitary form of government in which the provincial assemblies will become meaningless. This also amounts to altering the basic structure of the state. The real remedy to the issue is to strengthen the local bodies system which is in vogue all over the world. Systems are inducted after lot of brainstorming as no system is bad. The main problem is those who run the system and are not sincere as they keep the self and party interest before national interest.
Theoretically, it is said the system should not be personality-oriented, but it should be based on principles and national interest, whereas all political parties are personality-oriented. We have to build institutions based on principles and not on personalities. To achieve this goal, the office of the party head and government head should be separated which will not only create balance, but also prepare alternative leadership.
The other benefit of this is that the party head is able to continue leading the party without distractions of official and governmental commitments. It has been observed that as soon as the party head becomes the prime minister, the party structure is neglected and becomes unpopular among the masses. As a result, the downhill journey of the party starts.
Another important aspect is about the number of provinces. Our provinces are too large both in size and population. Many countries are much smaller than our provinces. For good governance and the benefit of the common man and justice at doorsteps, having smaller provinces is the answer.
We should have provinces on the basis of existing civil divisions. A robust local body system is the answer to most of the ills we face today. A government’s tenure should be of four years, as the current five-year period is too long, and people do not want to see a person this long at the helm of affairs. If a four-year tenure is adopted within the present setup, most of the uncertainty and politics of agitation will come to an end.
Our womenfolk are second to none in any aspect, therefore, there should be no ‘reserved seats’ or indirect elections for them. Instead, they should contest openly as per adult franchise on one-man-one-vote basis. It should also be ensured that there should be no third tenure for any individual. Also, the tenure of services chiefs should also be extended to four years instead of the current three years because the result of policies and projects cannot be fully achieved within three years.
We should stop accusing each other. Instead, everyone should contribute positively to the prosperity of the country.
Lt-Col (retd) Syed Iftikhar Ahmed
Karachi
Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2021
