Recent public commentary on the Interior Minister’s speech has been both intense and revealing. There is, in fact, little disagreement with the substance of his remarks. His address resonated because it reflected ground realities that citizens experience daily. In essence, he displayed rare candor in acknowledging that the present system has, for all practical purposes, collapsed. This raises a fundamental question: why do systems collapse? The answer is neither complex nor abstract. Any system fails when the rule of law erodes, when fear of accountability disappears, and when institutional boundaries blur beyond recognition. What we are witnessing today is precisely this convergence of failures. Over time, the state’s structure has been steadily captured by a narrow elite that controls a disproportionate share of national resources. Allegations of large-scale corruption-flagged even by state-appointed oversight institutions-have further eroded public trust. The consequences are predictable: the middle and lower-middle classes bear the brunt of economic and administrative decay, while those at the top remain insulated. Across institutions, a troubling pattern has emerged. Many have evolved into self-serving enclaves, functioning like small kingdoms with little regard for public accountability. Salaries, perks, and privileges are often determined with minimal oversight, while public resources are routinely misused. Consider the scale of government transport misuse alone-drivers’ salaries, fuel, maintenance, and repairs cumulatively amount to millions, all borne by the taxpayer. Equally damaging is the practice of selective accountability. It has hollowed out administrative integrity and created a climate where honesty is penalized rather than rewarded. Upright officials frequently find themselves marginalized or pressured, while those engaged in corrupt practices operate with relative impunity. Such an environment inevitably leads to grave violations committed in the name of protecting personal or institutional interests. The justice system, too, has not remained untouched. Public perception increasingly suggests that judicial independence has been compromised, with executive overreach raising serious concerns. The creation of parallel mechanisms that appear to override established judicial decisions further complicates the legal landscape and undermines confidence in due process.
The Interior Minister’s assertion that the current system has collapsed is, therefore, difficult to dispute. Yet, it is equally important to recognize a paradox: even dysfunction can take the shape of a system. What exists today is not the absence of a system, but rather a distorted one-an arrangement that, while flawed, continues to function in ways that perpetuate inequality and inefficiency. The path forward does not lie in cosmetic reforms or adjustments within an already compromised framework. Incremental fixes cannot substitute for a fundamentally just and equitable system. The need of the hour is clear and unequivocal: the restoration of the rule of law.
If laws are applied uniformly-without fear or favor-much of what ails the country can be addressed. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that a vast majority of our problems would begin to resolve themselves once accountability becomes real and universal. A just system is one where the ordinary citizen stands equal before the law alongside the most powerful elite.Until that principle is firmly established, no reform, however well-intentioned, will deliver meaningful change. The challenge is not merely to acknowledge the system’s failure, but to rebuild it on foundations of fairness, transparency, and justice.
