Thursday, August 27, 2015

Misplaced Priorities



Syed Saadat in his article "Misplaced priorities" in Daily Dawn has succinctly portrayed the Shahbaz Sharif Governance Model. It is based on the rule of personal likes and dislikes, be it in policies, people or priorities. Most of the priorities are based the principle that Work should not only be done, but seen to have been done especially in the eyes of the voter. Even a person of average intellect can understand why Punjab, despite its big budget could not achieve a reasonable level of development. Short term, quick actions for public consumption that mostly peter out in the longer run are taken to project the image of a go-getter. The application of self-righteousness and self-aggrandizement have played havoc with the working of the government giving rise to a culture of abdication of responsibilities and to save one’s own skin at the cost of good governance. Bureaucrats who are in good books are given opportunities much beyond their capacity and seniority and protected even when exposed. Honest and upright officials loathe to work in the province and blue-eyed and yes men rule the roast.
Mr. Shahbaz Sharif is not known to like reading much, but in the interest of people of Punjab specifically and Pakistan generally I would request him to read the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to at least get his priorities right.

Tasneem Hameed

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Inquiry Commission report


After  going through the Inquiry commission report I was really surprised to see that the commission has neither discussed the evidence produced by PPP and PML(Q) nor given its finding on their arguments. On page 164 the report says as under:
TREATMENT OF THE EVIDENCE
As only the following parties listed below either
produced witnesses, cross examined witnesses, exhibited
documents by way of evidence in support of their case and in some
cases provided closing briefs and oral submissions only their cases
will be considered:
PTI, PML (Q), PPP, BNP (A) and (M), JI, MQM (H), PML (N) MQM
and ECP
The report then goes on to COMMISSION'S DETERMINATION ON PARTICULAR ISSUES on page 165.
It  then it goes on to discuss the evidence of PTI , Baluchistan parties, JI, MQM(H), MQM , PML(N) and ECP, but did not discuss the evidence and arguments of PPP and PML(Q) and then goes on to page 203 for COMMISSIONS FINDINGS IN RESPECT OF EACH TOR 
What to make of it? Why PPP or PML(Q) are keeping quite? Been a lawyer myself I am completely confused because it is an illegality that vitiates the whole inquiry because PPP and PML(Q) evidence/arguments if considered might have changed the mind of the Inquiry Commission.

Tasneem Hameed