Why Pakistan’s Economic Problem Is Ultimately a Governance Problem

I am Dr. Imtiaz Bhatti – a Civil Servant/ Professor. The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about the role good governance and strong institutions play in the rise of nations. I am a civil servant in Pakistan with expertise in fiscal policy and governance. I’m a GWU and UCL alum and a former Fulbright scholar. In my Ph.D dissertation in public finance at GWU, I provided evidence that countries that place institutional mechanisms to constrain politicians from indulging in acts of “fiscal populism,” experience positive changes in their socio-economic indicators. I teach economics and policy courses at the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, and regularly contribute to newspapers on governance reform. I believe that creative destruction in most cases works – we must set about eliminating “extractive institutions” that retard our progress. I am also incorrigibly optimistic and believe that there is still time to reform institutions in Pakistan, and that corrupt politicians and civil servants can be weeded out from the system.