In any democracy, efficient governance is the core of developing public trust. In recent years Pakistan has witnessed a sharp decline in public confidence over the political institutions. This trust deficit is because successive governments fail to adhere to provisions of transparency, accountability, responsiveness, and participation in governance but rather opt for censorships, oppressing opposition, and aggravating polarization.
Public trust is not limited by democracy, and it is an essential component for any state that aims to maintain its power. Trust enhances cohesiveness in society, supports governments, and helps the implementation of policies. In an autocratic state where opposition and dissent are suppressed, the orderliness and stability brought by trust retain the regime. In addition, public trust enables the accumulation of development resources as evidenced by the case of China in economic development with the centralized government system. In democratic states, public trust is integral to political activity and citizenship, essential to achieve governance and policy responsiveness. Therefore, regardless of a specific type of political regime, trust building and maintenance constitute the key, through which resilience, legitimacy, and effective governance could be achieved.
The fundamental basis of public confidence in government is its capacity to provide services and to operate efficiently, however, the performance is subpar in the case of Pakistan. According to the Worldwide Governance Indicators, Pakistan’s institutional quality is the lowest out of 200 countries, this demonstrates the lack of public confidence in policymaking and implementation institutions. The recent wheat crisis that exposed large quantities of grain being embezzled resulting in a scarcity of the commodity and skyrocketing prices, exposed the malaise that characterized the public sector where the resources were either embezzled or siphoned by political henchmen and bureaucratic allies. This not only led to financial losses but also affected the public trust in the government’s capacity to handle the necessary resources. Across various sectors such as health, education, police, and other government facilities, the public sector has neglected its mandate to deliver quality services to the people. The failure to provide satisfactory
public services deepens socio-economic divides and fuels discontent among citizens. This recurring failure erodes the confidence of people who feel that the government is only out to benefit itself.
Political stability and the rule of law are significant factors in the assurance of public confidence in the government. Pakistan has also faced problems such as political instability and weak rule of law, which have eroded the legitimacy of the governance systems and policies. The judiciary has been in the middle of political controversies that averted its independence in the Pakistan legal system. The involvement of the judiciary in the political scenarios is evident such as the former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges and others. While these could be observed as attempts to eradicate corruption, they have often been criticized for the judicialization of politics or politicization of the judiciary.
Lack of media freedom and limited access to impartial information dispenses barriers to accountability and increase public skepticism. In Pakistan, censorship and regulatory constraints on journalistic independence compromise the watchdog role of the media and public access to impartial information, for example, the censorship over the former Prime Minister’s name erodes the public trust. For instance, in an opinion piece for The Guardian in June 2023, Hamid Mir, a Pakistani TV news anchor, and author wrote – ‘I literally cannot say Imran Khan’s name on Pakistani TV – this madness has to end.’
Hence, in the notion of democracy and national security, the nation has been misled to a level where the state is always in turbulence. Internal polarization has increased with parochialism rising, and feelings of rejection and dismay have become firmly embedded in the population.
On the other hand, the continuity of the trust deficit in the case of Pakistan is an indication of forces for change demonstrating a more democratic attitude by the public, expecting the government to be more accountable. Perhaps this trust deficit could be seen as more constructive – it would force these authorities to observe more democratic rules and regulations. The public check-and-balance mechanism could help foster a responsible political culture that would promote systemic changes to the government’s functioning and its institutions in the long run.
“The decline in public trust in Pakistan’s government stems from pervasive transparency, accountability, and responsiveness issues, further exacerbated by censorship and political
instability.” Pakistan’s government needs to implement massive reforms to enhance transparency, accountability, and public responsibility, such as addressing the political instability issue, independence of judiciary, and free media. In the future, therefore, political integrity and efficient governance will be the key to sustainable socioeconomic development and a stable democracy in the country.
