Daily Times

On August 14, 1947, Pakistan started its transition to freedom. The first National Assembly session was called on August 15, 1947 and Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan and his 8 member’s cabinet started to govern the new state operating out of the barracks in Karachi. The Royal Armed Forces, bureaucracy and the Judiciary now reported to an elected Prime Minister (PM) by and large merit and honesty prevailed.

As head of a sovereign state the PM visited the United States. He was asked to sign on the dotted line which he refused. Then came the nationalization of Oil in Iran under Mohammad Mossadeq another elected head of government Liaquat Ali was asked to intervene and resolve the impasse. He decided not to intervene in the affairs of a sovereign state. Both leaders were removed one through assassination while the other was imprisoned. A few years later Mossadiq died in captivity.

Transitions are always difficult as stakeholders compete for control and influence. While the genuinely elected leaders desired to move away from the colonial ways, the former components of the inherited system wanted their grip over power. The murder of the first PM and the rise of Baboo Ghulam Muhammad (Gama) as Governor General (GG) tilted the balance in favour of the Royalists.

The Imperial Leftovers (ILO) pose the biggest threat to our freedom. After the recent war on terror the Khakis are in a different mode and so is the judiciary post the Lawyers Movement, leaving the bureaucracy in the old Royal Moulds of control and exploitation. The ‘Baboos’ are now the only custodians of the dreadful status-quo that is sinking the nation. In a world driven by technology, only change is permanent for which they are neither trained nor ready.

There are only four countries in the world (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) that continued with the colonial bureaucracy even after independence. Compared to their neighbours all four have been in the pits. Transitions are both difficult and painful. Most nations decided to dismantle and rebuilt new administrative structures. Those who rule cannot serve as their basic approach and mindset is different.

With the dominance of technology in the later part of 20th century, bureaucrats were replaced by technocrats. With complicated management practices the ‘Baboos’ became outdated. Technical and managerial skills had to be combined to ensure effective governance. Technocrats are trained managers who understand their own technical field and are then trained to manage. Examples being Medical Doctors who study Health Care management or engineers who study Management of Technology (MOT).

All attempts at reforms of the Royal Bureaucracy of Pakistan (RBS) have been the thwarted by them. The Cornelius Commission in the early sixties was the most comprehensive and serious endeavour to introduce customer friendliness by defining SoPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and introducing accountability to control abuse of power. Justice A. R. Cornelius was uniquely qualified to head such an effort as he started his career as a Civil Servant and then branched into judiciary. He rose to be the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). As a Judge of the Supreme Court he dissented with the majority decision in the famous Maulvi Tamizuddin case. Two senior bureaucrats leaked the findings before finalization of recommendations to sabotage the much needed reforms. The Justice Fullerton Commission in U.K. adopted several findings of this team to reform their bureaucracy. In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan it is back to zero. One step forward and two backwards has been the norm rendering the entire administrative machinery non functional and burden on the meagre state resources.

A few years back I was invited to lecture at the Civil Services Academy in Walton, Lahore. The Director General complained that I was too critical of the bureaucracy while other institutions in the country were equally inept. As a student of management I told him that I have learnt that the decision makers have to be held responsible. Those who control the files and do the paperwork have to be held accountable.

There are only four countries in the world (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) that continued with the colonial bureaucracy even after independence. Compared to their neighbours all four have been in the pits. Transitions are both difficult and painful. Most nations decided to dismantle and rebuilt new administrative structures. Those who rule cannot serve as their basic approach and mindset is different.

In the seventies, the elected government introduced widespread reforms in the bureaucracy. Through lateral entry several technocrats were inducted into senior positions all the way upto the federal secretaries. Dr. Muhammad Ajmal a prominent educationist and ex-principal of Government College and Vice Chancellor of Punjab University was appointed Secretary Education. The know all bureaucrats were taken away from technical ministries. Engr Masood Hasan a prominent technologist was appointed Secretary Defence Production. It was under his leadership that important defence related industries were established. Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra and Heavy Industries Taxila were planned during this period. All nationalized industries were run by a newly created entity called Board of Industrial Management (BIM). For effective management technocrats were inducted into senior positions.

Under the 1973 constitution all appointments in Grade 21 and 22 are done by the Prime Minister. Recently dissatisfied bureaucrats have filed petitions in the court of law against out of turn promotions. A merit based mechanism can be developed to fill these senior level positions. The career path for the bureaucrats should terminate at Grade 20 beyond which there should be open merit. Federal Public Service Commission should recommend three names to be approved by the Prime Minister. Both bureaucrats (Federal, Provincial) and technocrats can then compete for these senior posts. Naya Pakistan will only be possible with a service oriented administrative system otherwise it would be business as usual. The people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan will continue to suffer at the hands of a non-functional state apparatus.

The writer is Ex-Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation Email: fmaliks@hotmail.com