Restoring trust in institutions

There was a time when people trusted institutions. The state was revered as a mother and facilitator. Even the postman who delivered mail commanded respect. The colonial bureaucracy that we inherited, with all its powers, provided relief in the new land. Millions of refugees who crossed the border to start life all over again were settled. Some came of their own free will, while others were forced to leave their homes due to communal riots that were triggered. Established business families arrived at the invitation of the Father of the Nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan started off well, with hope and struggle. A new nation was in the making despite all its challenges and problems.

Growing up on the Mall close to the Town Hall, I personally witnessed the smooth running of the city by the elected mayor, whose office was located there. There were several playgrounds in the vicinity to consume the energy of the young and restless. The university grounds near Chauburji had an excellent cricket pitch where regular tournaments were held. The hockey field next door was world-class. There was a huge swimming pool reserved for female students where we could sneak in during break hours. With the stroke of a pen, it was decided to move the university outside the city. A huge tract of land was allocated on the canal for the new campus. In the 1965 presidential elections, Pakistan Muslim League (PML), the ruling party, wanted to hold a public gathering in the university grounds in the city. Prof Hamid Ahmed Khan, as Vice Chancellor and custodian of the university property, conditionally approved the use of the facility. PML was asked for a huge deposit to be used in case of damage to the newly laid cricket pitch. The President was furious, but the VC held his ground. As a punishment for protecting his institution and the students’ facilities, he was denied an extension and retired.

As President of the Students’ Union of the Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology in the year 1976, I was faced with a problem. For our industrial tour, railway bogeys were required. As the event was very close to Eid-ul-Fitr, the request for reservation was denied. We decided to approach the Chairman, Pakistan Railway (PR), and seek his help. A few of us dashed to the PR headquarters located on Empress Road, close to the station. Engr Aziz Ahmed, the Chairman, had gone home during his lunch break, so we decided to pursue our case at his residence in Mayo Gardens. Upon arrival, his staff seated us in the verandah. A few minutes later, Aziz Sb. arrived. Upon my request, he immediately arranged the required bogeys, and the tour went on as planned. I vividly remember that meeting till today and mention it to his sons, who later joined PR and have now retired after meritorious service like their father. Such was the degree of facilitation in those days.

Later on, the institutional decline started, but a few good officers were still there to facilitate the public. Every year, to renew the token tax of our car, I went to the oldest sub-post office of Lahore, located on Dhani Ram Road, very close to the King Edward Medical College. We received a letter from the post office with a request to deposit the registration book for investigation of misappropriation of funds. Attached was a request for the Excise and Taxation Department for issuance of a duplicate free of charge. My father instructed me to comply with the request as he felt that it was our national duty to fight corruption. I was of the opinion that the original should only be handed over after the duplicate had been received. As I had to do the running around, my concern was proven right. Getting the duplicate book was an uphill task. After running from pillar to post, I decided to lodge a complaint with the Deputy Post Master General, who sat in the GPO located on the Mall. A hearing was arranged. My plea was straightforward. I wanted my book back so that I could pay tax and operate my vehicle; I should not be made to suffer for misappropriation of funds by the department. The officer asked a simple question: Who was at fault, the department or the complainant? My book was returned there and then, despite the objection of the lower staff. I still remember the face of the officer who was fair in providing relief to the public.

Today, executive abuse is rampant. Institutions do not provide relief. Instead of decolonization, supra-colonization has been strengthened. For relief, now the public has to approach the legal system, which is now overloaded and choked. When I took over from where my old man had left, there were about twenty court cases that I inherited, mostly resulting from the high-handedness of officers running vital state institutions. It does not represent collapse, as has been reported; rather, it harbors on exploitation and suppression, which will continue unabated unless checked. In such a situation, devolution will hurt, not help. Institutions have to build trust through service, not disservice, as has been the case for the last several decades. Most good men in the system have now retired, and fighters like my late father perished. Those who remain are unwilling to take on the system for the needed course correction. Only functional, people-centric institutions can survive; the rest will perish.