Civil Society Should Play Its Role In Reforming System: Speakers

Speakers at a seminar on 'New Agenda of Radical Reforms' said that civil society has to contribute its share in reforming the system with individual reformation and role to abolish the status quo.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2018 ) :Speakers at a seminar on 'New Agenda of Radical Reforms' said that civil society has to contribute its share in reforming the system with individual reformation and role to abolish the status quo.

The discussion on the contemporary scenario of governance was organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here Monday.

Barrister Naseem Bajwa while addressing the session, emphasized the need of eradicating the prevailing colonial system in the country. He said that the British developed the prevailing governance and administrative system to rule and oppress the country rather not to empower people which continued after the partition of the sub-continent.

He added that the people of our land never lacked intellect and strength than the British rather unity and team work. "The British particularly Europeans have a great experience of consultation and it still exists in the very roots of their government structure," he underscored. He said Pakistan has natural resources, human resource and important paraphernalia to modify the outdated system and should mobilize its resources for the purpose.

Dr Muhammad Shoaib Suddle, ex-civil servant and Senior Fellow at NUST Global Think Tank Network said there was nothing new in the agenda and no radical thing in the prevalent scenario as the system has earlier alienated the radical thinkers. He said that the provinces demand their share from the centre but do not transfer it at the local level which has developed serious ill in the system.

He put thrust in his discussion at the six fundamental pillars that base the reforms to be made in a country. He mentioned that accountability across the board, law and order (absence of violence), fair and effective government, quality regulation regime, rule of law and level of corruptibility determine the sustainability of reforms and its implementation. "We (society) has to stand for reforms and do not have to look up towards any political party. If we want reforms and change it should be done without any radical idea," he added.

He said when the topic of justice is discussed criminal justice do comes into consideration referring to the role of police.

"Independent Police can deliver best results but no political party wants it as it only exists in rhetoric," he regretted. He concluded that civil servants have critical role in retrieving the system and the civil society also shares the responsibility in this regard and should stand, resist and fight for the change in the prevailing system.

Former Senator Awami National Party Afrasiab Khattak said, "Our failure to decolonize the prevailing law of the colonizing British who framed such laws aimed at subjugating and oppressing the people".

Khattak said strong and productive reforms in the system were necessary which were halted by the disgruntled statusquo forces. The Bureaucracy, Army and Civil Service were developed to oppress the people not serve them which was never improved to make it propitious for the natives. "No end of feudalism and tribalism also paved the way for putting the system in a quagmire," he added.

The state, he said has to set its direction in the correct dimension as lack of good norms and unrealistic set of priorities were becoming a serious issue resulting into crisis. He agreed with Dr Suddle over basic issues namely rule of law and absence of violence. He believed that Pakistan has huge civilization potential and youth bulge which should be utilized to resolve the issues.

He suggested that it was high time to make local government the third tier as Federal, provincial and local government.

To a question, he said that 102 articles of the constitution were amended during the historic 18th Amendment in the constitution of 1973. The entrenched forces of statusquo did not appreciate the move, he added.

Senior Analyst, Murtaza Solangi drew attention of the participants to the fundamental right to information of the people under the Constitution and urged the incumbent government to implement its provision on page 18 of its manifesto. It states that if the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf comes into power then it will make reforms in Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television on the model of BBC that are in dilapidated condition and require reforms, he added.