IMF Mission Calls for Curbing Corruption to Attract Foreign Investment
Islamabad: On Friday, an IMF visiting mission met with some of the main members of Pakistan’s legal fraternity to consider steps for rooting out corruption and reforming the judiciary so that it may attract additional foreign investment to the country.
The IMF delegation, under the Governance and Corruption theme, met for an hour with Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), and Hassan Raza Pasha, Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council’s (PBC) special committee on judicial reforms. The two discussed enhancing governance and eliminating corrupt practices to make the country more investor-friendly.
Key Issues Discussed
Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta expressed concern regarding the delay in cases in the judicial process, ranging from the pendency of cases in lower courts to the lack of judges. He also brought into focus inefficiencies in different departments and suggested solutions such as the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system to decongest courts and make justice more accessible to the people.
The session emphasized how to tackle corruption within government departments, enhance governance, and implement legal reforms to improve the judicial system. The participants believed that such changes would assist in building a more robust economy and a more efficient judiciary.
Tackling Corruption to Strengthen the Economy
Atta focused on addressing financial crimes to robustify the economy. He enumerated that there already exist mechanisms to do so, including the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) that processes grievances against senior judges and the high courts that deal with cases involving district judges. He gave a sample instance wherein a judge in the Supreme Court was removed after a grievance had been made before the SJC.
He reiterated his resolve to maintain the rule of law, emphasizing its significance in a democratic state. Atta and the SCBA are committed to the Constitution, institutional autonomy, and judicial integrity.
Legal Reforms for Economic Growth
The IMF mission expressed concern over the excessive delays in business-related judgments, which adversely affect the economy of the country. Mr. Pasha has reassured the IMF team that the government is making all efforts to settle such disputes through mediation and ADR, to prevent delays and simplify court cases.
Pasha also proposed that the backlog could be tackled and efficiency improved by adding more judges to lower courts. Both superior courts and the government favor ADR, and Pasha is optimistic that it will minimize delays and assist economic growth.
Challenges Faced by Common People
Pasha also spoke of the effect of heavy taxation, asking the IMF to think of easing the conditions it has imposed on Pakistan. He said that increased taxes have caused prices to rise, causing hardship to the common man. Cutting down on taxes would relieve them and get economic activity going.
The meeting concluded with both parties showing appreciation for the exchange and a common desire to hold further discussions to pursue reforms favorable to Pakistan’s economic and legal systems.
